.  .  .  - 


•    • 

.     - 


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I 

I 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 

B 

P5389f 


I .H.S. 


1 


GLIMPSES 

OF  THE 

LIFE  OF  REV.A.  E.  PHELPS 

AND 

HIS  CO-LABORERS; 

OR, 

TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  METHODIST  ITINERANCY, 

BY 

REV.  J.  J.  FLEHARTY,  A.  M., 

OF   THE   CENTRAL    ILLINOIS    CONFERENCE,    AND    AUTHOR   OF   "SOCIAL   IMPURITY." 

Witij  s$n  introduction, 

,       BY  REV.  ARTHUR  EDWARDS,  D.  D., 

EDITOR   OF  THE   "NORTHWESTERN    CHRISTIAN    ADVOCATE." 


CI  NCINN  ATI: 

PRINTED   BY  HITCHCOCK   &   WALDEN. 
1878. 


Copyright 

By    J.    W.     PH  ELPS, 
1878. 


t 


TO  THE 


JJeteiian  j|embe»i$  of  the  fjld  Illinois 


WHO  STILL  LINGER  ON  THE  EARTHLY  SHORE; 


THE  FRIENDS  WHO  SAT  UNDER  THE  MINISTRATIONS 
OF  REV.  A.  E.  PHELPS; 

TO 

HIS  INTIMATE  FRIEND  ANT)  CO-LABORER, 
BISHOP  E.  R.  AMES; 

AND  TO   THE 

SURVIVING  MEMBERS  OF  HIS  DEVOTED  FAMILY,- 

®f)t9  "Folumt 

IS  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED. 


PREFACE. 


THE  numerous  admirers  of  the  lamented 
A.  E.  PHELPS  will  be  disappointed  in 
not  finding  those  great  sermons  that  so  might- 
ily swayed  the  multitude,  not  a  trace  of  which 
is  now  extant.  Those  inserted  were  not  de- 
signed for  the  press,  and  were  delivered 
during  his  early  ministry.  No  suitable  por- 
trait could  be  obtained  for  insertion.  The 
author  has  done  what  he  could  to  rescue 
from  obscurity  the  name  of  a  faithful  and 
powerful  Methodist  itinerant  minister.  The 
book  is  published  at  the  expense  of  his  only 
surviving  son,  J.  W.  PHELPS,  of  Plainfield, 
Illinois.  The  reader  will  be  delighted  with  its 
typography  and  external  finish.  The  author 
is  under  many  obligations  to  friends  in  the 
ministry  arid  laity  for  valuable  suggestions. 
It  has  been  to  him  a  work  and  labor  of  love. 


6  PREFACE. 

It  is  now  sent  forth  as  a  humble  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  one  who  was  good  and  great.  May 
it  be  made  a  blessing  to  many. 

J.  J.  F. 
WYOMING,  111.,  Sept.  2,  1878. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    FIRST. 

PARENTAGE — CONVERSION — CALL  TO   THE   MINISTRY. 

Birth — His  Father —  Mother — Marriage — Family  Altnr — 
Asahel's  First  Religious  Impressions — Dedicated  to  God  at 
.Birth  —  His  Mother's  Death — "Old  Tom"  his  Spiritual 
Teacher  —  Twelfth  Birthday — Conversion  —  Apprenticeship — 
Backsliding — The  Fortune-teller — Studies  English  Grammar 
with  W.  L.  Deneen — Joins  Conference  at  Madison — Number 
Admitted  —  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Canada  organ- 
ized—  Bishop  George's  Death — Old  Illinois  District — .Early 
Settlers — Slavery  Sentiment — Shams — Appointed  to  Kaskaskia 
Circuit  with  S.  L.  Robinson — Size  of  Circuit — Peter  Cart- 
wright — Conference  at  Edwardsville — J.  Dew  and  A.  E.  Phelps 
at  Lebanon — Facilities  for  Study — Conference  at  Vincennes — 
E.  R.  Ames  and  W.  D.  R.  Trotter  admitted  —  Meets  Miss 
Charlotte  Catei'line — Attachment — Lost — "Tom"  leads  him 
out  of  Woods  —  Conference  at  Indianapolis  —  Edwin  Ray — 
James  Bankson PAGE  17 

CHAPTER   SECOND. 

ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE. 

J.  Sinclair — Springfield — Mr.  Phelps  accused  of  Pride — 
His  Marriage — Camp-meeting — Conference  at  Jacksonville — 
H.  Summers — Peter  R.  Boreiiv — Z.  Hall  and  Wilson  Pitner 
received — Indiana  Conference  set  off — J.  Strange — R.  Har- 
grave — Martin  Ruler — J.  Armstrong — E.  R.  Ames — Presiding 
Elders — Mr.  Phelps  at  Alton — Outfit — Removed  to  the  Coun- 
try—  A  Sleepy  Worshiper  —  Ordained  by  Bishop  Soule — Ap- 
pointed to  Carrolllon — Resides  at  Whitehall — Hot  Summer — 
The  First-born — Camp-meeting — Simon  Peter — William  Mav- 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

ity  —  Pitner —  Ralston  —  Crews  —  Beggs  —  Mitchell  — Akei  s  — 
Hall — Mr.Phelps  at  Carlisle — Cholera — Elder  Barger,  PAGE  35 

CHAPTER   THIRD. 

HIS   LABORS   ON   PEKIN   CIRCUIT — PEORIA    MISSION. 

Conference  at  Springfield — G.  G.  Worthington — Richard 
Haney — B.  T.  Kavanaugh — Geouge  Rulledge — Appointments — 
His  Circuit — Parsonage — Well — Church — Birth  of  Agnes  E. — 
Revival — Jesse  Walker's  Death — W.  B.  Mack — Number  re- 
ceived on  Trial — Prominent-  Appointments — Large  Quarterly- 
meetings — Correspondence  with  William  Davenport — Sermon 
on  the  Witness  of  the  Spirit — Funeral  of  William  H.  Holt — 
Sermon  on  Baptism — Conference  at  Jacksonville — M.  Bourn — 
T.  J.  Kirkpatrick — Pastor  of  Peoria  Mission — Preached  in  the 
Court-house — Rev.  Mr  Huntoon — Assaults  Orthodox — Was 
vanquished  by  .Mr.  Phelps — Lectures — Conference  at  Alton — 
Nathan  Jewett  —  Joseph  Kirkpatrick — Increase — Michael  S. 
Taylor's  Death,  ........  66 

CHAPTER   FOURTH. 

PRESIDING   ELDERSHIP — MOUNT  VERNON   DISTRICT. 

The  Riot  in  Alton— The  Excited  State  of  the  Public 
Mind — Bishop  Soule — Presiding  Eldership — Importance  of  the 
Office — Ella's  Sickness — Their  Removal  to  Mount  Vernon  Dis- 
trict— Resided  with  the  Pastor,  Rev.  John  Shepard — List  of 
His  Preachers  —  His  Preaching  —  Sermon  on  Salvation  by 
Faith — Sermon  on  the  Plan  of  Salvation,  ...  85 

CHAPTER   FIFTH. 

MOUNT   VERNON   DISTRICT   CONTINUED. 

Sermon  on  the  Mission  of  Paul  to  the  Gentiles — Four  Years 
on  the  District — His  Residence  in  Mount  Vernon — His  Habits 
of  Study — Greek  and  Hebrew — Habits  at  Home — Incident  at 
Family  Prayer — G.  J.  Accompanies  him  to  Quarterly-meeting — 
Incident — Prolific  Cow — Mischievous  Boys  at  Mount  Vernon — 
Mock  Worship  in  a  Saloon — Reproof  by  Elder  Phelps — The 
Young  Man's  Tragic  End — The  Death  of  Little  Ella — Beauti- 
ful Tribute  to  her  Memory — Poem  on  Ella's  Death  by  Thomas 


CONTENTS.  9 

Johnson — Birth  of  Mary  Frances — Letter  to  his  Father-in-law — 
Revival  in  Mount  Vernon — Camp  -  meeting — Dreadful  Thun- 
der-storm— John  Maxey — Number  of  Members  in  the  Confer- 
ence— Leading  Ministers  of  the  Rock  River  Conference — Deatli 
Roll — Paxton  Cummings — Spencer  Hunter — William  Cundiff — 
Peter  Borein  —  George  Smith — John  Dew — Joshua  Barnes — 
David  B.  Carter — John  E.  French — Samuel  H.  Thompson — 
Interesting  Letter  to  his  Wife — Sermon  on  the  Call  and  Sup- 
port of  the  Ministry PAGE  113 

CHAPTER   SIXTH. 

SECOND   TERM   IN   THE   ELDERSHIP — PEORIA   DISTRICT. 

Conference  at  Winchester — Ministers  Received  on  Trial — 
Appointed  to  Peoria  District — Low  State  of  the  Church — Dis- 
cussion with  Universalist  Ministers — Missionary  Collection  at 
Wyoming — Conference  Session  at  Quincy — Bishop  Andrew — 
Delegates  to  the  General  Conference — Newton  Berry  man 
Near  Canton — S.  P.  Burr  and  A.  E.  Phelps  at  Hendersonville — 
Sermon  at  Victoria  in  May,  1843 — Appointed  to  Washington 
District — List  of  Presiding  Elders — Prominent  Pastors — Illi- 
nois Conference — Leading  Ministers — Peter  Cartwright — John 
Van  Cieve — John  S.  Barger — Wilson  Pitner — Harclin  Wal- 
lace— W.  D.  R.  Trotter — Addison  Goddard — Suffered  from  a 
Carbuncle — Quarterly-meeting  at  Toulon — Debate  with  Latter 
Day  Saints — A  Mormon  Lawyer  Silenced — Smith's  Arrest — 
Shot  by  a  Mob — An  Obituary — Rev.  Joseph  Mitchell — Death 
of  His  Babe — Lost  His  Way — Camp-meeting  on  Lafayette  Cir- 
cuit— Annual  Conference  at  Peoria — Anecdote  of  Francis 
Smith — Decease  of  William  Brown — Debate  with  Rev.  W. 
Davenport — Success  in  Securing  Subscribers  for  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate l48 

CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

AGENCY   OF   ROCK    RIVER   SEMINARY. 

Trip  to  Mount  Morris  —  Entered  upon  the  Work  of  the 
Agency — Anecdote  of  a  Wealthy  Man — E.  Ransom — Birth  of 
a  Son — Hard  Times — Incessant  Labors — Debate  with  Mr.  Gard- 
ner— Mr.  Plielps's  Promotion — Conference  at  Chicago — Dele- 


io  CONTENTS. 

gates  to  General  Conference  — Appointments  —  Letter  to  his 
Companion — Letter  to  his  Father-in-law — Death  of  his  Child — 
Letter  to  his  Companion  from  Sycamore,  III. — Trip  to  General 
Conference — Delegates — Preached  on  Board  of  Ne  Phis  Ultra — 
Boarded  with  a  Methodist  Family  —  A  Funeral  —  Journey  to 
Baltimore — Visit  to  his  Brother,  Hon.  F.  P.  Phelps — Preached 
in  Cambridge — Visit  to  Washington  City — Returns  to  Balti- 
more— A  Boat  Race — Journey  Home — Conference  Session — 
Letter  to  his  Companion  —  Death  of  James  Lazenby — Sta- 
tistics—  Report  of  Rock  River  Seminary  —  Prominent  Ap- 
pointments,    PAGE  175 

CHAPTER   EIGHTH. 

PASTORATE  AT  GALENA. 

Situation  of  the  City — The1  Home  of  Ex-President  Grant — 
Dr.  J.  H.  Vincent's  Pastorate — Mr.  Phelps's  Lecture  on  Infidel- 
ity— Rev.  Matthew  Sorin — Letter  to  his  Father-in-La^v — The 
Winnebago  Swamps — Preached  at  Toulon — Decease  of  Bcnj. 
F.  Bestor — Conference  at  Plain  field,  111. — Bishop  Hamline — The 
Appointments — Cholera  in  Galena — Birth  of  a  Little  Daugh- 
ter— Debate  with  Rev.  Mr.  Lyons — Success  of  his  Protracted 
Meeting — Appeal  to  a  Wealthy  Man — Scene  in  a  Shop — Close 
of  his  Meeting — One  Hundred  and  Thirty  Accessions — Family 
Sickness — Trip  to  St.  Paul — Visits  Minnehaha  Falls — Rev. 
Chauncey  Hobart — Diligence  as  a  Pastor — Entries  in  his  Pass- 
book—  Family  Government  —  Controversy  with  Rev.  John 
Hughes — Conference  at  Peoria — Bishop  Waugh — Expulsion  of 
J.  C.  Parks — Appointments, 197 

CHAPTER   NINTH. 

THIRD   TERM   IN  THE   ELDERSHIP — ROCK   ISLAND   DISTRICT. 

Rock  Island  City — Black  Hawk — Preachers  of  his  Dis- 
trict— Resides  at  Princeton— Delegates  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence— Discussion  with  Rev.  Oliver  Barr  —  Subsequent  Corre- 
spondence— Preached  for  Rev.  H.  J.  Humphrey — Death  of 
Mrs.  G.  L.  S.  Stuff — Quarterly-meeting  in  Lafayette — Sermon 
on  Baptism — Elder  Gross — Sermon  on  Baptism  at  Galcsburg — 
President  Blanchard  in  Tears — Sketches  of  Sermons,  .  215 


CONTENTS.  1 1 

CHAPTER   TENTH. 

THE  BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE — CORRESPONDENCE. 

Started  April  22cl — Preached  in  Boston  April  301)1 — Death 
of  Bishop  Heckling — Absence  of  Bishop  Mainline — Opening  of 
the  Conference — Petitions — Letters  to  his  Wife — Brief  Letter 
to  Rev.  J.  Morey, PAGE  235 

CHAPTER   ELEVENTH. 

CONTROVERSY    AT     HENRY  —  DEBATE    AT     HENNEPIN  —  OBJEC- 
TIONS TO   UN1VERSALISM. 

Preliminaries  of  Debate  at  Henry — Dr.  Summerbell — El- 
der Phelps's  Scriptural  Argument — Quotes  Luther — Snmmer- 
•  bell's  Rejoinder — C.  C.  Best — Sickness  of  His  Child — Motto — 
Second  Proposition — Rev.  Oliver  Ban — Third  Proposition — 
Rev.  J.  Luccock  Assisted  Mr.  Phelps — Dr.  Summerbell  and 
Rev.  M'Kinney  on  the  Negative — Remarks  on  the  'Discus- 
sion— Sermon  of  Rev.  L.  Whitney — Debate  with  Mr.  Whit- 
ney— Preliminary  Sermons  —  Propositions  —  Arguments — Mr. 
Phelps's  Argument  Against  the  System,  .  .  .  254 

CHAPTER    TWELFTH. 

SUBJECTS  AND   MODE   OF   CHRISTIAN   BAPTISM. 

Definition  of  the  Church  of  Christ — The  Old  Covenant — 
Justification  always  by  Faith — Unity  of  the  Church — Children 
Members  of  the  Jewish  Church — Scriptural  Proofs — The  Mode 
of  Baptism — BOTTTO — Classical  Definition — The  Translations — 
Baptizo  —  Translations  —  The  Fathers  —  The  Prepositions  — 
Scriptural  Argument — Syrian  Christians  —  John's  Baptism  — 
Christ's  Baptism — Sprinkling  represents  Sanctification,  287 

CHAPTER   THIRTEENTH. 

THE   MAN   AND   HIS   METHODS. 

Personal  appearance  —  Activity — Knowledge — Memory — 
Adaptation — As  a  Singer — As  a  Speaker — An  Incident  — 
Rev.  C.  W.  Batchelor — Pastoral  Visiting — The  Preacher  and 
the  "Johnny-cake" — His  Oratory  —  Sketches  of  Sermons  — 
Fragments  from  his  Scrap-book — Old  Friendships — His  Pol- 
itics— Impressive  Manner — A  Reminiscence,  .  .  317 


12  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   FOURTEENTH. 

HIS   LAST   ANNUAL   CONFERENCE. 

Victoria  Camp-meeting — A  Scotch  Presbyterian — Confer- 
ence at  St.  Charles — Bishop  Ames — The  Three  Illinois  Confer- 
ences— Wisconsin  Conference — Four  Indiana  Conferences — 
Former  Co-laborers  —  His  own  Conference — J.  Sinclair  — 
Henry  Summers — John  Chandler — S.  R.  Beggs — H.  Crews — 
Z.  Hall— M.  Bourn— J.  Morey— J.  L.  Kirkpatrick— William 
Haney — Ora  Walker — R.  Haney — J.  Luccock — Luke  Hitch- 
cock— Personal  Mention — Close  of  the  Conference — Details  of 
his  Quarterly-meetings — Letter  from  Dr.  Golliday — Letter  to  J. 
Morey — Debate  on  Baptism — Elder  Ketchum,  .  PAGE  333 

CHAPTER   FIFTEENTH. 

LAST   LABORS — SICKNESS — DEATH. 

Had  become  a  Leader — Family  Affliction — Tenderness  in 
Preaching — Unusually  Busy — At  Hennepin — Mr.  Whitney — 
Numerous  Calls — Church  Dedication  at  Cedar  Point — Brother 
Collins — Last  Quarterly-meeting — Last  Sermon — A  Skeptic — 
At  J.  Wickson's — Rev.  J.  Cole — Goes  Home  Sick — Martin  P. 
Sweet — Death — Funeral — Funeral  at  Conference — Sermon  by 
H.  Crews— J.  V.  Watson, 346 

CHAPTER   SIXTEENTH. 

PEN-PORTRAITURES   BY   CO-LABORERS. 

Sketch  by  Rev.  H.  Ritchie — Rev.  Francis  Smith — Rev.  U. 
P.  Golliday— Rev.  Z.  Hall— Rev.  R.  Haney,  .  .  .360 

CHAPTER  SEVENTEENTH. 

THEN — NOW — HEREAFTER. 

The  Old  Border  Conference — Education — Methodist  Lit- 
erature— Membership — The  Dead — The  Roll  of  Honor — Old 
Leaders — Fifty  Years  Hence — The  Meeting  Hereafter — The 
End. 

CHAPTER   EIGHTEENTH. 
CONCLUSION 3^4 


INTRODUCTION. 


r  I  ^HE  expert  biographer  is  a  tender  savior  who 
•*•  raises  the  departed  to  life  again.  The  good 
man  is  immortal  in  many  senses.  God  remembers 
him;  the  "Life"  embalms  him;  the  Church  will  not 
let  him  die.  No  person  can  read  the  following  pages 
without  a  deep  sense  that  he  has  been  in  the  pres- 
ence of  a  noble,  earnest,  devout,  successful,  holy 
servant  of  God.  Asahel  E.  Phelps  has  left  a  record 
to  be  emulated  by  every  minister  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Had  any  one  Church  ten  thousand  such  men  the  en- 
tire world  would  be  evangelized  in  two  decades.  The 
mystery  in  the  providential  departure  of  such  evan- 
gelists is  a  mystery  greater  than  death  itself.  Surely 
God  bereaves  us  when  he  promotes  our  workers; 
but  the  fact  may  prove  his  infinite  love  both  for 
those  who  go  and  for  us  who  linger  behind.  In  the 
act  he  rewards  the 'promoted,  and  adds  new  attrac- 
tions to  heaven,  that  we  may  not  lack  motive  to  be 
faithful  unto  the  end. 

This  life  of  an  honored  minister  is  one  more  tes- 
timony to  the  value  of  early  religious  training.      Mr. 


14  "  INTRODUCTION. 

Phelps  had  devout  Methodist  parents.  Happy  the 
child  that  is  consecrated  to  God  from  infancy;  and 
most  highly  endowed  is  that  minister  of  the  Word 
who  is  devoted  to  the  Lord's  exclusive  work  from 
the  hour  of  his  birth.  Under  cold,  formal  ecclesi- 
asticism,  there  might,  in  ^uch  case,  be  danger;  but 
when,-  under  evangelical  auspices,  clear  conversion 
and  spiritual  convictions  sanction  the  parental  dedi- 
cation, the  Church  is  sure  of  vital  re-enforcement. 

The  steady  persistence  with  which  Mr.  Phelps' 
conquered  the  disabilities  in  his  early  life  is  perfectly 
admirable.  His  health  was  frail,  his  advisers  few, 
his  outfit  scant,  and  his  purse  almost  painfully  light. 
But  the  Arminian  foreordi nation  that  he  should  rise 
laughed  at  apparent  impossibilities.  The  student 
who  can  rise  at  four  in  the  morning,  and  literally 
fight  his  way  step  by  step  with  book  in  hand,  is 
conqueror  from  the  beginning,  and  is  more  than 
the  peer  of  the  average  graduate.  Such  men  are 
equaled  only  by  those  of  their  own  kind  who  find 
their  way  to  and  through  the  training  college. 

The  history  of  earl}-  Western  Methodist  cam- 
paigns reads  like  an  epic  and  a  psalm.  The  central 
social  figures  forty  years  ago  were  not  the  legisla- 
tors, the  judges,  nor  the  merchant-princes  of  the 
North-west.  It  would  seem  that  all  things  crystal- 
lized about  the  work,  not  the  person,  of  the  early 
Methodist  preacher.  A  false  theology  works  itself 


INTRODUCTION.  1 5 

out  in  a  hollow  social  system;  hence  the  theological 
debates  of  those  days  had  more  than  mere  polemical 
significance.  Mr.  Phelps's  generalship,  eloquence, 
fullness  of  data,  fire,  and  force  as  a  controversial  de- 
bater are  as  admirable  as  the}'  are  well-nigh  inimit- 
able. The  chapters  herein  given,  containing  the 
memoranda  on  Baptism  and  Universalism,  are  pleth- 
oric, unique,  and  invaluable.  Few  products  of  his 
brain  could  better  show  his  industry  and  acumen. 

The  feature  of  the  book  is  the  formal,  and  the 
incidental,  evidence  that  Mr.  Phelps  lived  very  near 
to  God.  His  life,  labor,  aims,  aspirations,  and  com- 
munion with  the  head  of  the  Church  were  real  trans- 
actions between  heaven  and  an  heir  of  the  kingdom. 
He  realized  that  he  belonged  to  Christ's  rear-guard 
left  on  earth  to  occupy  till  Jesus  should  release  him. 
Every  day  had  its  assigned  duty,  and  it  was  fit  that 
the  servant  should  tarry  near  the  throne  for  frequent, 
fresh  inspiration.  Happy  the  evangel  who  serves  as 
seeing  him  who  is  invisible. 

Still  one  more  feature  in  the  good  man's  life  in- 
vites our  loving  attention.  The  constant  student,  the 
devout  minister,  the  thundering  polemic,  the  tireless 
friend  of  education,  the  wise  Church  legislator  had  a 
heart  tender  as  a  child,  and  his  home  held  his  heart 
as  firmly  as  the  Ark  constrained  the  loving  dove.  No 
distance,  no  emergency,  no  combat,  no  imperious 
duty  could  make  him  forget  "wife  and  children." 


1 6  INTRODUCTION. 

From  the  distant  Eastern  coast,  as  from  the  remote 
pulpit  appointment,  the  busy  man  could  sing  of 
his  home : 

"My  heart,  untraveled, 
Fondly  turns  to  thee." 

The  letters  written  in  the  confidence  of  a  hus- 
band's and  a  father's  heart  are  among  the  most 
charming  glimpses  of  his  manly  inner  life. 

Asahel  E.  Phelps  was  a  great  man,  and  the 
promising  harvest  of  his  forty-seven  years  was  but 
an  earnest  of  the  more  magnificent  product  possible 
to  him  had  he  been  spared  to  serve  during  three- 
score and  ten  years. 

His  survivors,  his  wife,  his  children,  his  fellow 
laborers  have  a  rich  legacy  in  his  odorous  memory. 
The  lesson  of  his  life  is  potent  to  guard,  guide,  and 
inspire  a  legion  of  ministerial  successors. 

ARTHUR  EDWARDS. 

OFFICE  NORTHWESTERN  CHRISTIAN  ADVOCATE,  | 
Chicago,  September,  1878. 


TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS 


METHODIST  ITINERANCY. 


CHAPTER  FIRST. 

PARENTAGE— CONVERSION— CALL  TO  THE    MINISTRY. 

Birth — His  Father — Mother — Marriage — Family  Altar — 
Asahel's  First  Religious  Impressions — Dedicated  to  God  at 
Birth  —  His  Mother's  Death — "Old  Tom"  his  Spiritual 
Teacher  —  Twelfth  Birthday — Conversion  —  Apprenticeship — 
Backsliding — The  Fortune-teller — Studies  English  Grammar 
with  W.  L.  Deneen — Joins  Conference  at  Madison — Number 
Admitted  —  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Canada  organ- 
ized—  Bishop  George's  Death — Old  Illinois  District  —  Early 
Settlers — Slavery  Sentiment — Shams — Appointed  to  Kaskaskia 
Circuit  with  S.  L.  Robinson — Size  of  Circuit — Peter  Cart- 
wright — Conference  at  Edwardsville — J.  De\v,  and  A.  E.  Phelps 
at  Lebanon — Facilities  for  Study — Conference  at  Vincennes — • 
E.  R.  Ames  and  W.  D.  R.  Trotter  admitted  — Meets  Miss 
Charlotte  Caterline — Attachment — Lost — "Tom"  leads  him 
out  of  Woods  —  Conference  at  Indianapolis  —  Edwin  Ray — 
James  Bankson. 

A  SAHEL  ELIHU  PHELPS  was  born  in 
l\  Sussex  County,  Delaware,  March  21, 
1806.  His  father,  Asahel  Phelps,  was  a  soldier 
in  the  war  for  American  independence.  Though 
but  a  youth,  he  responded  to  the  call  for  volun- 

17 


1 8       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

teers,  and  served  throughout  that  long  and 
bloody  struggle  for  freedom.  He  was  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  had  not  received  a  classical 
education,  but  was  a  fine  English  scholar.  In 
music,  both  vocal  and  instrumental,  he  greatly 
excelled.  Agnes  Houston,  mother  of  A.  E. 
Phelps,  was  a  native  of  Delaware.  She  was  a 
young  woman  of  fine  personal  appearance,  and 
possessed  of  more  than  ordinary  mental  capac- 
ity. Their  marriage,  after  a  courtship  extend- 
ing, probably,  through  several  years  of  Revolu- 
tionary history  and  peril,  was  consummated  at 
the  close  of  the  war.  To  them  were  born  nine 
children.  Asahel  Elihu  was  the  seventh.  His 
parents  were  Christians,  members  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church,  and  deeply  interested 
in  the  moral  welfare  of  their  children.  They 
gave  such  strict  and  constant  attention  to  the 
study  of  the  Bible  and  the  instruction  of  the 
members  of  their  household  in  the  duties  of  a 
religious  life,  that  their  minds  were  early  and 
permanently  impressed  with  a  reverence  for  the 
Bible  and  a  firm  belief  in  its  inspiration.  They 
were  taught  and  made  to  feel  their  need  of 
regeneration  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  "An  altar 
of  prayer  had  long  since  been  erected  in  the 
domestic  circle,  and  the  flame  of  devotion  en- 
kindled, which  was  only  extinguished  by  the 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  19 

dissolution  of  the  family  band."  *  Mr.  Phelps 
was  a  music-teacher.  He  was  frequently  absent 
from  home,  and  taught  in  the  principal  cities  of 
the  Eastern  and  Middle  States  with  marked 
success.  Mrs.  Agnes  Phelps  was  a  holy  woman, 
and  during  the  absence  of  her  husband  attended 
faithfully  and  very  devoutly  to  the  religious  in- 
struction of  her  children.  To  her  Asahel  Elihu 
was  indebted  for  his  first  religious  impressions. 
He  was  taught  to  pray  morning  and  evening, 
as  regularly  as  the  day  dawned  and  declined. 

At  the  early  age  of  five  he  was  convicted 
of  sin,  and  his  conscience  at  times  became  so 
thoroughly  aroused  to  the  danger  of  incurring 
the  displeasure  of  God,  and  his  mind  was  so 
deeply  agitated  with  the  fear  of  God's  righteous 
judgments,  that  he  was  almost  driven  to  de- 
spair. He  felt  that  he  deserved  to  be  cast 
into  the  lake  of  fire,  and  that  this  would  most 
surely  be  his  portion  unless  his  sins  could  be 
washed  away.  He  was  at  times  in  danger  of 
complete  mental  derangement.  His  mother 
was  his  spiritual  guide.  Thank  God  for  such 
mothers !  She  recited  to  him  the  precious 
promises  of  the  Gospel  with  skill  and  wisdom, 
and  in  a  manner  so  tender  and  affectionate  that 
the  mind  of  her  little  boy  became  calm.  A 

*  Sketch  of  his  early  life  by  A.  E.  Phelps. 


2O       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

soothing  Gospel  on  the  lips  of  a  loving  mother, 
how  soothing!  Such  a  mother  never  dies, 
though  she  may  be  early  called  home.  He 
was  devotedly  attached  to  his  mother.  The 
flame  of  divine  love  burned  brightly  in  her 
heart.  She  gave  her  children  to  God,  one  by 
one,  at  their  birth;  and  Asahel  Elihu  she  con- 
secrated to  the  service  of  God,  as  of  old  Hannah 
consecrated  Samuel.  It  was  her  wish  that  God 
would  call  him  to  the  work  of  the  ministry. 
For  this  she  prayed.  She  frequently  took  her 
children  into  her  own  chamber  and  prayed 
earnestly  for  their  conversion.  A  mother  in 
the  midst  of  her  precious  children  pleading  for 
God's  blessings !  What  a  spectacle  for  the 
angels ! 

"Ah,  my  tender  babes  ! 
My  unblown  flowers,  new-appearing  sweets."  * 

Her  work  was  soon  done,  but  never  to  be 
undone.  When  Asahel  was  ten  years  of  age 
his  dear  mother  went  to  be  an  angel. 

"  Early,  bright,  transient, 
Chaste  as  morning  dew, 
She  sparkled,  was  exhaled, 
And  went  to  heaven."  f 

Asahel  was  lonely  indeed  without  his  mother. 
Though  he  strictly  observed  the  forms  of  relig- 
ion, he  felt  his  unfitness  for  heaven  more  pain- 

*  Shakespeare.  f  Young. 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  21 

fully  and  palpably  than  ever  before.  His 
mother  was  in  heaven,  and  he  felt  he  was  on 
the  road  to  endless  night.  An  old  colored 
man,  whom  he  esteemed  highly,  taught  him 
that  he  could  not  be  converted  until  he  was 
twelve  years  of  age.  He  longed  for  the  time 
to  come  when  he  could  throw  himself  at  the' 
feet  of  Jesus  and  receive  the  pardon  of  all  his 
sins.  "Old  Tom"  said  he  must  -wait  a  little 
longer,  and  he  waited  in  deep  concern  for  his 
soul's  salvation.  At  length  the  day  came — his 
twelfth  birthday  ;  and  on  that  morning  he  arose 
very  early,  fell  upon  his  knees,  and  gave  him- 
self up  to  the  service  of  God.  In  a  few  months 
he  was  happily  converted,  and  could  joyfully 
sing: 

"My  God  is  reconciled, 

His  pardoning  voice  I  hear; 
He  owns  me  for  his  child, 

I  can  no  longer  fear. 
With  confidence  I  now  draw  nigh, 
And  Father,  Abba,  Father,  cry." 

"  He  then  had  the  fullest  assurance  that  the 
life  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus  had 
made  him  free  from  the  love  of  sin  and  death."  * 
Then  his  life  sped  on.  sweetly  and  swiftly.  He 
was  alike  joyful  in  the  domestic  circle,  in  the 
school-room,  or  corn-field.  He  did  not  strive 


*  Sketch  by  himself. 


22        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

to  supplement  his  happiness  by  seeking  worldly 
amusements  or  society.  The  religion  of  Jesus 
was  a  satisfying  portion  to  him.  And  now  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  received  him  on 
probation,  and  became  his  nursing  mother.  His 
dear,  sweet  mother  had  gone  to  heaven,  and 
he  missed  her  much,  but  the  Church  gave  him 
more  than  a  mother's  tender  care. 

At  the  age  of  eighteen  his  father  sent  him 
to  Charleston,  Indiana,  and  he  became  an  ap- 
prentice to  a  cabinet-maker,  Littleton  Houston, 
his  uncle.  It  cost  him  a  great  struggle  to  turn 
away  forever  from  the  home  and  scenes  of  his 
early  youth ;  but  there  was  no  appeal,  and  he 
entered  earnestly  upon  the  work  of  his  new 
occupation.  He  was  very  lonely.  There  were 
few  young  people  in  that  place  who  professed 
to  be  Christians.  Many  bitterly  reviled  Christ 
and  his  followers.  Young  Phelps  wavered,  kept 
his  Church  letter  in  his  trunk,  and  failed  to 
confess  Christ  before  his  wicked  associates. 
The  Holy  Spirit  was  grieved,  and  could  no 
longer  witness  to  his  justification.  He  still 
•rigidly  observed  the  forms  of  religion  in  secret, 
but  without  spirit  and  heart,  and  without  spir- 
itual enjoyment.  He  was  in  great  darkness. 
He  could  not  wickedly  depart  from  the  early 
instructions  of  his  godly  mother,  break  his 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  23 

most  solemn  vows  to  God,  and  plunge  into 
willful  sin ;  he  could  not  enjoy  the  pleasures 
of  his  worldly  associates  without  incurring  con- 
demnation, and  he  was  very  unhappy.  The 
admonitions,  prayers,  and  pious  teachings  of 
his  mother  were  sounding  in  his  ears  by  day 
and  by  night;  neither  the  labors  of  the  day 
nor  the  slumbers  of  the  night  brought  rest  to 
his  troubled  mind. 

For  months  he  lingered  in  this  sad  condi- 
tion, but  finally,  driven  almost  to  madness  by 
remorse  for  his  backslidings,  he  went  forward 
to  the  altar  of  prayer,  and,  after  an  earnest 
struggle,  in  a  few  hours  he  obtained  a  renewal 
of  the  evidence  of  his  acceptance.  One  day, 
while  engaged  at  his  shop,  a  fortune  -  teller 
called,  and  said:  "Let  me  tell  your  fortune. 
You  will  yet  become  a  Methodist  minister, 
travel  extensively  in  the  West,  become  noted 
in  your  denomination,  be  poor  until  the  last 
seven  years  of  your  life,  when  you  will  become 
rich,  die  a  miserable  drunkard,  and  go  to  hell 
at  last."  He  did  not  believe  in  fortune-telling 
or  tellers;  but  this  message  startled  him.  He 
had  already  been  powerfully  moved  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  preach  the  Gospel,  "but  a  trem- 
bling sense  of  his  own  incompetency  for  so 
great  a  work  deterred  him  from  offering  him- 


24        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

self  for  the  ministry ;  and  nothing  but  a  fearful 
apprehension  of  losing  his  soul  induced  him  to 
make  preparations  for  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry." 

Henry  Summers*  was  present  when  he  was 
licensed  to  preach.  A  popular  local  preacher 
present  said  that  young  Phelps  "had  too  much 
top-sail  for  the  hull,"  that  "he  would  certainly 
capsize."  Jas.  Armstrong  was  present,  though 
Samuel  Hollister  was  the  presiding  elder. 

Good  but  unwise  men  not  unfrequently  mis- 
take zeal  for  bigqtry,  and  thus  devoted  young 
men  are  hindered  at  a  time  when  delay  is  fatal 
to  final  success. 

The  fear  that  he  would  lose  his  own  soul 
prompted  him  to  assume  the  responsibilities 
of  the  ministerial  office.  He  began,  however, 
to  make  preparations  to  obey  the  divine  com- 
mand. His  educational  advantages  had  been 
indifferent.  He  studied  English  grammar  un- 
der the  direction  of  W.  L.  Deneen,fj*  and  mas- 
tered it  in  three  months.  He  was  appointed 
class-leader,  then  licensed  to  exhort,  and  finally 
to  preach. J 

He  finished  his  trade  at  twenty-one  years 


*  Rev.  W.  H.  Summers  to  the  author. 

f  Subsequently  a  member  of  the  Illinois  Conference. 

{  His  sketch  does  not  say  by  whom. 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  25 

of  age.  He  still  continued  to  study  with  great 
diligence.  Whilst  other  young  men  of  his  age 
were  engaged  in  "  revelries  by  night,"  he 
pored  over  his  books  by  torch-light. 

In  1828  his  recommendation  to  the  old  Illi- 
nois Conference  was  presented  to  that  body 
by  the  beloved  John  Strange,  at  Madison,  Ind. 
This  Conference  met  in  the  Fall.  In  answer 
to  the  question,  "Who  are  admitted  on  trial?" 
the  General  Minutes  returned  the  names  of 
John  Van  Cleve,  Asa  Beck,  Cornelius  Ruddell, 
W.  L.  Deneen,  Asahel  E.  Phelps,  Charles 
Bonner,  John  French,  George  Teas,  Miles 
Huffaker,  Harden  A.  Tarkington,  John  H. 
Benson,  David  Bruner.  At  that  time  this  old 
border  Conference  was  composed  of  fifty-nine 
preachers,  and  included  within  its  bounds  18,- 
840  members,  white  and  colored.  There  were 
but  seventeen  Methodist  Episcopal  confer- 
ences, 1,817  traveling  preachers,  and  447,743 
members  in  these  United  States.  In  that  year 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Canada 
was  organized ;  and  in  the  same  year,  on  the 
23d  day  of  August,  at  Staunton,  Va.,  Bishop 
Enoch  George  passed  from  earth  to  heaven, 
saying,  "Glory  to  God!" 

The  State  of  Illinois  was  then  in  its  infancy. 
The  old  Illinois  District  comprised  the  largest 


26        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

portion  of  the  State.  Many  of  the  inhabitants 
were  French,  and  of  course  opposed  to  Prot- 
estantism. A  large  minority  of  the  settlers 
were  in  favor  of  slavery,  and  society  was  cut 
up  into  factions.  The  canal  question,  the 
school  question,  the  State  capital,  and  sham 
banking  business,  for  some  years  continued  to 
divide  the  public  mind.  Broil  succeeded  broil. 
The  religious  condition  of  the  settlers  may  be 
anticipated.  Illinois  was  a  hot-bed  of  heretical 
isms.  Infidelity  was  rife. 

Asahel  Elihu  Phelps  was  appointed  to  the 
old  Kaskaskia  Circuit  with  Smith  L.  Robinson. 
Though  a  young  man,  S.  L.  Robinson  was  well 
fitted  to  superintend  a  circuit.  His  education 
was  limited ;  but  he  was  possessed  of  fine 
natural  abilities,  a  musical  voice,  and  a  ready 
delivery.  It  is  said  that  at  the  time  of  his 
conversion  he  was  utterly  unaccustomed  to 
even  the  forms  of  religion,  and  in  his  joy, 
forgetting  to  restrain  his  pent-up  emotions, 
he  shouted,  ''Hello,  Mister  Jesus!"  Young 
Phelps  found  him  a  genial  companion,  and  in 
labors  abundant. 

Kaskaskia  had  formerly  been  -the  State 
capital.  Kaskaskia  Circuit  included  Randolph, 
-Monroe,  Perry,  Jackson,  and  Washington 
Counties,  and  a  portion  of  St.  Clair.  Between 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  27 

Charlestown,  where  Mr.  Phelps  resided,  and 
his  new  charge  was  a  vast  wilderness.  How 
he  reached  it,  what  fatigue  and  exposure  he 
endured,  can  be  imagined,  but  not  narrated. 
The  early  itinerants  "  took  joyfully  the  spoiling 
of  their  goods,"  and  left  many  thrilling  experi- 
ences unrecorded. 

Peter  Cartvvright  was  presiding  elder  of  the 
Illinois  district.  He  was  then  in  his  prime. 
He  succeeded  Samuel  H.  Thompson,  who  had 
been  very  popular,  but  utterly  unlike  Mr.  Cart- 
wright.  During  his  stay  on  this  district  Peter 
Cartwright  was  preaching  at  a  place  where 
Elder  Thompson  had  captivated  all  hearts. 
He  proceeded  a  short  time,  then  halted  for  a 
moment,  gazed  in  silence,  and  broke  out,  in 
tones  of  independence:  "I  never  could  preach 
like  any  body  else  ;  I  never  did  preach  like 
any  body  else ;  I  never  wanted  to  preach  like 
any  body  else."  The  spell  was  broken;  some 
laughed,  some  cried,  some  shouted. 

Young  Robinson  and  Phelps  were  compelled 
to  travel  five  hundred  miles  in  making  their 
''rounds."  It  was  a  six  weeks'  circuit,  and  in 
all  that  time  they  enjoyed  but  one  rest  day. 
There  is  no  record  of  their  trials  on  their 
charge  this  side  of  the  judgment  books,  per- 
haps, but  they  reported  an  addition  of  171 


28        TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

members  and  seventeen  probationers.  This 
was  a  glorious  harvest. 

Conference  met  at  Edwardsville,  Ind.,  Sep- 
tember 1 8, 1829.*  S.  L.  Robinson  was  appointed 
to  the  Sangamon  Circuit — D.  B.  Carter  was  the 
junior  preacher;  A.  E.  Phelps  was  appointed 
to  the  Lebanon  Circuit,  with  John  Dew  in 
charge.  John  Dew  was  a  scholar  and  great 
student.  With  him  Mr.  Phelps  made  rapid 
progress  in  his  studies.  Lebanon  was  a  strong 
circuit;  the  rides  were  short,  the  labors  com- 
paratively light,  as  Methodism  was  well  estab- 
lished. His  opportunities  for  study  were  ex- 
cellent, and  were  well  improved. 

At  the  close  of  this  year  Conference  met  in 
Vincennes,  Ind.  Seventeen  were  admitted  on 
trial,  amongst  whom  were  E.  R.  Ames  and  W. 
D.  R.  Trotter.  A  friendship  sprang  up  be- 
tween the  former  and  Mr.  Phelps  that  contin- 
ued during  the  life  of  the  latter.  They  were 
very  unlike  each  other,  but  they  were  agreed 
in  the  glorious  work  of  building  up  the  cause 
of  Christ.  They  were  students  alike,  and 
alike  courageous,  and  loved  each  other  as  did 
Jonathan  and  David. 

Sixteen  were  received  into  full  connection, 
but  were  not  ordained  because  of  the  absence 


*See  General  Minutes. 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  29 

of  the  bishop.*  Eight  were  elected  to  elders' 
orders.  John  Van  Cleve  was  appointed  to  Kas- 
kaskia;  E.  R.  Ames,  to  Shoal  Creek,  with  John 
Dew  in  charge ;  Richard  Hargrave,  to  Carlisle ; 
Thomas  S.  Hitt,  to  Indianapolis ;  Stephen  R. 
Beggs,  to  Tazewell ;  Smith  L.  Robinson,  to 
Galena  Mission ;  Jesse  Walker,  Chicago  Mis- 
sion ;  Calvin  W.  Ruter,  to  Albany ;  John  Sin- 
clair, to  Jacksonville;  William  D.  R.  Trotter, 
Apple  Creek ;  and  A.  E.  Phelps,  to  Salt  Creek. 
This  was  a  four  weeks'  circuit.  He  boarded 
at  Athens.  Decatur  was  on  his  charge ;  also 
the  Baxter  settlement,  and  Bethel  school- 
house.  Here  he  met  for  the  first  time  Miss 
Charlotte  Caterline ;  she  rode  to  and  from 
Church  behind  her  father,  in  real  primitive 
style.  She  was  then  about  sixteen  years  of 
age.  In  a  few  months  she  was  formally  intro- 
duced to  him.  Her  father,  Joseph  Caterline, 
was  an  ardent  Methodist,  and  the  preachers 
frequently  tarried  at  his  house ;  but  Asahel  E. 
Phelps  soon  found  excuses  for  calling  at  other 
times  than  during  his  stated  pastoral  visits. 

The  Winter  was  severe,  the  snow  five  feet 
deep  on  a  level   surface.     He  was  frequently 


•The  Autobiography  of  Peter  CarUvright  says  the  bishop 
was  present,  but  the  General  Minutes  must  be  our  guide.  See 
page  83,  volume  n. 


3O        TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"storm-stayed."  There  were  many  wild  tur- 
keys and  deer  in  that  vicinity.  Young  Phelps, 
though  not  a  practiced  hunter,  shot  several 
deer,  many  being  killed  in  the  deep  snow. 
His  labors  were  incessant.  One  morning  he 
set  out  for  a  distant  appointment,  and  traveled 
until  weary  before  he  made  the  unpleasant 
discovery  that  he  was  lost.  After  trying  in 
vain  to  find  his  way,  he  threw  the  reins  on 
his  horse's  neck,  saying,  as  he  stroked  him: 
"Tom,  I  am  lost;  it  may  be  that  you  can  find 
the  way  out  of  this."  His  horse  seemed  to 
understand  the  situation,  and  made  himself 
master  of  it  by  carrying  his  master  back  to 
the  last  night's  stopping-place.  Ignorant  of 
his  whereabouts,  Mr.  Phelps  called  out  to  the 
sleeping  household,  "Hello!"  "What  do  you 
want  at  this  time  of  night?"  was  the  response 
of  his  late  host.  "I  wish  to  stay  all  night." 
"I  can  not  keep  you;  do  not  keep  a  public 
house."  "But  I  must  stay,"  urged  the  weary 
itinerant;  "I  am  lost,  and  cold  and  hungry." 
"Why,  brother  Phelps,  is  that  you?  I  did  not 
know  you."  It  is  needless  to  say  he  had  a 
warm  reception.  He  had  traveled  all  day  and 
part  of  the  night,  only  to  reach  his  starting- 
point. 

There  was  much  political  excitement  at  this 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PHELPS.  31 

time  in  consequence  of  the  Nullification  Act 
of  a  South  Carolina  Convention  and  Legisla- 
ture, that  threatened  the  disruption  of  the 
Union.  President  Jackson  issued  a  proclama- 
tion, warning  those  engaged  in  "fomenting  a 
rebellion  that  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
would  be  strictly  enforced."  Henry  Clay  came 
forward  with  a  bill  providing  for  a  gradual  re- 
duction of  the  obnoxious  duties.  On  the  3d 
of  March  it  became  a  law,  and  the  discord 
subsided.  Still  there  was  much  excitement  in 
regard  to  the  National  Bank,  against  which 
legislation  had  been  urged  and  secured  by  the 
President. 

This  continued  excitement  led  Mr.  Phelps 
to  prepare  and  deliver  an  able  sermon  on 
National  Religion.  He  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  card-playing  was  in  direct  violation 
of  the  laws  of  Illinois.  Horse-racing  was  like- 
wise positively  forbidden.  That  loading  and 
unloading  freights  on  the  Sabbath  was  wrong; 
that  boatmen  had  no  right  to  compel  others  to 
violate  the  Sabbath,  as  they  must  do  when 
their  goods  are  put  ashore  on  that  day.  He 
dealt  heavy  blows  at  law-makers  for  allowing 
the  sale  of  intoxicants  as  a  beverage.  He 
declared  it  to  be  "murder  by  wholesale  and 
by  law."  "All  will  admit  that  it  is  a  fruitful 


32        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

source  of  crime ;  that  most  of  the  family  and 
neighborhood  broils,  of  the  murders  and  sui- 
cides, much  of  the  pauperism,  poverty,  and 
wretchedness,  moral  and  physical  degradation 
in  our  country,  is  directly  or  indirectly  tracea- 
ble to  the  use  of  ardent  spirits. 

"That  slavery  is  an  evil,  and  one,  too,  of 
the  deepest  dye,  will  be  disputed  by  none.  I 
do  not  design  to  concern  myself  with  mod- 
ern abolitionism.  I  do  not  wish  to  agitate  a 
question  of  such  an  irritable  character,  one 
which  so  influences  the  public  mind.  I  will 
say,  however,  that  the  measures  of  modern 
abolitionists  I  do  not  approve,  and  never  did. 
I  conceive  that  the  measures  which  they  advo- 
cate are  not  calculated  to  produce  the  desired 
result ;  but  that  slavery  is  an  evil,  and  that  the 
General  Government,  or  the  individual  States 
in  which  it  exists,  should  devise  such  means 
as  would  remedy  the  evil  as  soon  as  may  be 
practicable.  Slavery  is  an  evil  which  even  the 
slave-holder  himself  deplores.  There  are  but 
few  at  present,  even  in  the  slave  States,  who 
will  plead  for  it.  This  may  evidently  be  ranked 
among  our  national  sins. 

"That  there  is  also  much  political  corruption 
and  intrigue  among  our  officers  of  state,  and 
our  Legislative  and  Congressional  departments, 


EARLY  LIFE  OF  A.  E.  PUELPS.  33 

scarcely  admits  of  dispute.  Look  at  our  State 
Legislature.  Every  session  exhibits  scenes  of 
vice  and  crime,  startling  and  appalling  to  every 
friend  of  virtue.  Those  who  have  been  pres- 
ent during  the  sessions  of  our  Legislature  can 
bear  witness  to  the  depravity  and  corruption 
there  exhibited.  There  stands  a  stupendous 
building,  erected  almost  exclusively  for  the 
purpose  of  gambling,  for  the-  use  of  members 
and  visitors." 

His  reference  to  the  General  Government 
was  reverential,  but  scathing.  He  thought  the 
pulpit  should  be  heard  on  all  questions  of  reform. 

He  had  good  success  this  year,  and  at  its 
close  reported  an  accession  of  one  hundred 
and  six  members.  Conference  was  held  at 
Indianapolis.  There  had  been  two  deaths 
during  the  year.  Edwin  Ray  died  on  his  way 
to  Conference.  His  father,  John  Ray,  was  a 
preacher,  and  wrote  cheering  words  to  mem- 
bers of  the  Conference,  saying,  "The  news  of 
his  death  was  not  so  afflicting  to  me  as  a  lo- 
cation" Edwin  Ray  closed  his  earthly  career 
at  the  house  of  Mr.  Barnes.  He  said  to  his 
wife,  "The  religion  which  I  have  preached  to 
others  now  sustains  me  in  death."  James 
Bankson  died  at  St.  Louis  Hospital,  after  a 
very  painful  surgical  operation.  He  was  born 


34       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

in  Georgia,  but  had  lived  in  Illinois  since  he 
was  eight  years  old.  Notwithstanding  he  had 
traveled  frontier  circuits,  he  had  become  well 
versed  in  Greek  and  Hebrew.  He  died  tri- 
umphantly, September  4,  1831. 

Fourteen  were  ordained  deacons  by  Bishop 
R.  R.  Roberts,  among  whom  were  John  Van 
Cleve,  Wm.  L.  Deneen,  Boyd  Phelps,  and  As- 
ahel  Elihu  Phelps.  The  conference  year  had 
been  very  fruitful, — 3,230*  had  been  added  to 
the  Church.  Of  the  eleven  who  were  received 
on  trial  at  this  Conference,  John  T.  Mitchell 
and  Wm.  M.  Daily  were  prominent. 

A.  E.  Phelps  was  appointed  to  Sangamon 
Circuit,  with  John  Sinclair  in  charge. 


*  Including  colored  people. 


CHAPTER  SECOND. 

ALTON— CARROLLTON— CARLISLE. 

J.  Sinclair — Springfield — Mr.  Phelps  accused  of  Pride — 
His  Marriage — Camp-meeting — Conference  at  Jacksonville— 
H.  Summers— Peter  R.  Borein — Z.  Hall  and  Wilson  Pitner 
received — Indiana  Conference  set  off — J.  Strange — R.  Har- 
grave — Martin  Ruter — J.  Armstrong — E.  R.  Ames — Presiding 
Elders — Mr.  Phelps  at  Alton — Outfit — Removed  to  the  County — 
A  Sleepy  Worshiper — Ordained  by  Bishop  Soule — Appointed 
to  CaiTolllon — Resides  at  Whitehall — Hot  Summer — The  First- 
born—  Camp-meeting — Simon  Peter — William  Mavity — Pit- 
ner— Rnwlston — Crews — Beggs — Mitchell — Akers — Hall — Mr. 
Phelps  at  Carlisle — Cholera — Elder  Barger. 

REV.  JOHN  SINCLAIR  had  spent  sev- 
eral years  in  the  Kentucky  Conference, 
where  he  had  been  associated  with  such  men 
as  Thomas  A.  Morris,  Martin  Ruter,  and  J. 
Stamper.  In  this  Conference  he  was  ordained 
elder  in  1828.  In  1829  he  spent  his  last  year 
in  the  Kentucky  Conference,  in  charge  of  the 
Winchester  Circuit.  T.  Wallace  was  his  col- 
league, and  G.  W.  Taylor  his  presiding  elder. 
In  1830  he  was  transferred  to  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference and  stationed  at  Jacksonville.  He  was 
well  fitted  to  a  charge,  and  was  in  every  way 
a  worthy  man.  He  was  a  pleasant  companion. 

35 


36       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

The  association  of  these  two  men  of  God  on 
the  Sangamon  Circuit  was  mutually  beneficial. 
A.  E.  Phelps  was  a  man  of  taste  and  much 
independence.  J.  Sinclair  was  very  plain,  sin- 
cerely devout,  a  rigid  disciplinarian,  and  very 
much  attached  to  the  Church  of  his  choice. 
A.  E.  Phelps  was  likewise  very  strongly  at- 
tached to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Springfield  was  in  the  bounds  of  the  old  San- 
gamon Circuit.  Mr.  Phelps  was  studious,  and 
also  scrupulously  careful  in  his  attention  to  his 
personal  appearance.  At  one  appointment 
some  old-style  Methodists  began  to  look  upon 
him  with  slight  jealousy  on  account  of  his  fine 
appearance.  Mr.  Phelps  discovered  the  occa- 
sion of  their*  reproachful  attitucle,  and  went 
among  them  in  plain  apparel,  and  they  became 
his  fast  friends  and  earnest  helpers.  He  was 
then  an  able  preacher.  A  sermon  preached 
by  him  from  John  xx,  30,  31,  at  a  camp-meet- 
ing at  Walter's  Grove,  is  yet  remembered  and 
referred  to  by  some  who  heard  it. 

At  the  close  of  this  year  he  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Charlotte  Caterline,  at 
Athens,  111.,  by  Rev.  J.  Sinclair.  The  young 
pair  then  went  on  horseback  to  the  Springfield 
Camp-meeting.  There  were  but  few  itinerant 
ministers  present.  The  local  ministers  took  an 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  37 

active  part  in  the  labors  of  the  meeting.  The 
camp  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Mrs.  Phelps's 
home.  Her  father,  who  was  an  exhorter  in 
the  Church,  had  a  tent  on  the  ground,  so  that 
Mr.  Phelps  and  his  youthful  bride  were  very 
much  at  home.  He  preached  several  times 
during  the  meeting.  Many  were  converted. 

Conference  was  held  at  Jacksonville,  Sep- 
tember 25,  1832.  The  increase  in  member- 
ship was  1,469,  including  colored  and  Indians. 
Twelve  were  received  on  trial,  as  in  1828,  and 
several  of  this  number  became  apostles  of 
Methodism  in  Illinois,  Wisconsin,  and  Iowa. 
Peter  Borein,  Henry  Summers,  Zadok  Hall, 
Wilson  Pitner,* — the  most  eccentric  man  that 
ever  filled  a  Methodist  Pulpit — were  of  "the 
twelve."  During  the  year  William  H.  Askins 
died,  April  29th.  He  lived  beloved,  and  died 
lamented.  The  Indiana  Conference,  it  having 
been  set  off  from  the  Illinois,  took  many  val- 


*It  is  related  thai  lie  had  concluded  to  go  to  school  and 
prepare  for  the  ministry,  and  bad  actually  made  preparations 
for  starting,  but  felt  impressed  to  pray  to  God  for  direction  in 
the  matter.  "  He  went  to  the  adjoining  wood,  and,  after  hunt- 
ing around  some  time  for  a  suitable  place,  he  selected  a  nice 
sumach-tree,  on  the  forks  of  which  he  laid  his  chin  and  began. 
His  burden  of  soul  came  upon  him,  and  the  tree  split  under 
the  pressure.  He  then  found  a  hickory-tree,  and  in  its  strong 
fork  he  laid  his  chin  and  prayed  until  with  him  the  case  was 
settled,  and  he  went  home  and  joined  Conference."  ' 


38        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

uable  preachers  and  20,035  members,  and  left 
'10,225.  Jonn  Strange,  Richard  Hargrave,  Cal- 
vin Ruter,  James  Armstrong,  Allen  Wiley, 
and  E.  R.  Ames  would  meet  in  the  old  Illi- 
nois Conference  no  more  except  as  visitors. 
M.  S.  Taylor,  John  S.  Barger,  Simon  Peter, 
and  Peter  Cartwright  were  the  presiding  elders. 
Jesse  Walker  was  superintendent  of  Chicago 
Mission ;  Henry  Summers  was  sent  to  Rush- 
ville ;  Peter  Borein*  to  Canton ;  Zadok  Hall,  to 
Peoria  Mission ;  and  A.  E.  Phelps  to  Alton. 

Mr.  Phelps,  with  his  bride,  proceeded  to 
Alton  on  horseback.  There  was  no  parsonage 
on  the  circuit.  They  rented  two  rooms,  and 
began  housekeeping  with  three  c/iairs,  a  bed, 
and  a  large  stand  for  a  table.  Mrs.  Phelps 
cooked  by  an  old-style  fire-place.  They  were 
without  carpets  and  pictures.  The  charge  had 
ten  appointments,  and  Mr.  Phelps  was  absent 
ten  days  on  each  "round."  His  salary  was 
$100  for  himself,  and  $  100  for  his  wife.  This 

7r  '  7r 

was  a  small  amount,  but  it  did  not  cost  much 
to  live  in  those  primitive  times.  At  this  time 
he  wrote  his  sermons  out  in  full,  but  neither 
committed  to  memory  nor  read  what  he  had 
written.  This  was  a  year  of  great  prosperity.* 

*Tliey  lived  with  a  brother  Scarret,  occupying  a  part  of 
the  house. 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  39 

In  the  Spring  he  removed  to  the  country. 
The  good  lady  with  whom  they  resided  was 
industrious,  and  could  not  keep  awake  during 
the  sermon.  Mr.  Phelps  told  her  to  take  a 
blanket  and  pillow,  and  lie  down !  She  was 
very  kind,  and  helped  to  beguile  many  lonely 
days  for  Mrs.  Phelps.  Being  much  alone,  the 
latter  greatly  appreciated  this  lady's  kindness. 
During  the  year  her  father  came  to  see  her. 
She  ran  out,  threw  her  arms  around  his  neck, 
and  cried  for  joy.  After  an  effort  to  release 
himself,  he  said,  "Why,  daughter,  if  I  had 
known  it  would  make  you  feel  so  badly  I  would 
have  stayed  at  home."  Her  husband  was  con- 
stantly busy  during  the  year.  He  purchased 
a  buggy,  then  called  dearborn  (and  it  was 
"dear"  to  them).  In  it,  sometimes  alone  and 
sometimes  in  company  with  his  wife,  he  sped 
from  place  to  place  until  Conference  closed  his 
work  on  that  charge. 

The  Illinois  Conference  met  this  year  at 
Union  Grove,  St.  Clair  County,  on  September 
25>  ^3 3-  The  increase  was  3,102;  total  num- 
ber of  members  within  the  bounds  of  Confer- 
ence, 13,421.  The  deficiency  in  the  salaries 
of  the  preachers  was  heavy.*  Mr.  Phelps  re- 

*  Possibly  the  Black  Ha\vk  War  had  something  to  do  with 
their  deficiency. 


4O        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ported  a  deficiency  of  $108.19.  There  were 
thirty  -  nine  claimants  upon  the  Conference 
funds.  The  sum  of  $665  was  divided  among 
twelve  claimants  and  the  bishops. 

Simeon  Walker,  Asahel  E.  Phelps,  John  E. 
French,  and  Barton  Randall  were  ordained 
elders  by  Bishop  Soule,  at  the  house  of  Wm. 
Padfield,  October  3,  1833.  Mr.  Phelps  was 
appointed  to  Carrollton  Circuit ;  C.  B.  N. 
M'Cabe  was  the  junior  preacher.  Mr.  Phelps 
resided  at  White  Hall,*  and  moved  his  goods 
in  a  wagon.  The  distance  from  his  last  place 
of  residence  on  Alton  Circuit  was  about  forty 
miles.  The  membership  at  White  Hall  was 
small.  Carrollton  was  much  larger,  but  the 
Church  was  weak.  Mr.  Phelps  and  his  col- 
league worked  faithfully,  and  many  souls  were 
brought  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  The  Summer 
was  extremely  hot, — so  hot  that  much  of  the 
time  it  was  necessary  either  to  travel  in  the 
evening  or  go  on  a  slow  walk.  During  the 
Summer  Mr.  Phelps  lived  at  Looking  Glass 
Prairie.  There  George  H.  was  born,  August 
6,  1834.  Ten  days  after  this  their  camp- 
meeting  near  White  Hall  began,  and  Mrs. 
Phelps  was  compelled  to  accept  the  hospitality 
of  kind  friends,  who  insisted  on  her  removal 


*In  the  liousc  of  a  brother  Davidson. 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  41 

to  the  camp-ground.  Simon  Peter,  then  pre- 
siding1 elder  of  the  Sangamon  District,  was 
present,  yet  Mr.  Phelps  was  very  much  en- 
gaged in  the  meeting. 

Shortly  after  this  he  spent  a  few  days  in 
visiting  his  father,  near  Danville.  This  was 
the  first  time  Mrs.  Phelps  had  seen  her  father- 
in-law.  During  their  stay  Mr.  Phelps  preached 
in  his  father's  house  to  a  large  congregation. 
His  father  was  delighted  with  the  sermon. 

Conference  met  at  Mount  Carmel,  Wabash 
County,  October  i,  1834.  Mr.  Phelps  and  Mr. 
M'Cabe  reported  an  increase  of  sixty-three 
members.  The  Illinois  Conference  reported 
$545.08  missionary  money,  and  $46.25  for  the 
publishing  fund.  William  Mavity  had  died  in 
August.  He  had  "lived  a  pious  life  and  died 
a  pious  death."*  There  had  been  an  increase 
of  1,676.  Barton  H.  Cartwright  and  seven 
others  were  admitted  on  trial.  Ten  were  or- 
dained deacons,  of  whom  were  Henry  Sum- 
mers, James  Mitchell,  Zaclok  Hall,  and  Wilson 
Pitner.  Young  Pitner  had  a  horror  of  gram- 
mar, and  refused  to  study  it.  He  was  appointed 
to  preach  before  the  Conference. f  It  was  a 


*  Conference  Minutes. 

f  Have  no  data  as  to  what  Conference  year  this  was.    This 
is  one  of  the  many  traditions  of  this  eccentric  man. 

4 


42        TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

great  cross  to  him  to  do  so.  When  the  time 
arrived,  in  making  the  opening  prayer,  he 
alluded  to  his  ignorance  of  grammar,  and  in 
the  presence  of  so  many  learned  men  he  ex- 
claimed, "O  Lord,  help  poor  Pitner!"  By  this 
time  he  had  the  sympathy  of  all  his  critics,  and 
proceeded  to  preach  with  great  power.  T.  N. 
Ralston  was  one  of  the  five  elected  to  elders' 
orders.  Hooper  Crews  was  appointed  Super- 
intendent of  the  Galena  Missionary  District; 
Stephen  R.  Beggs  went  to  Bureau  Mission ; 
John  Sinclair  was  Presiding  Elder  on  the  Chi- 
cago District,  and  John  T.  Mitchell  was  Pastor 
of  the  Chicago  Missionary  Station.  Peter 
Akers  was  reappointed  President  of  M'Ken- 
dree  College.  W.  D.  R.  Trotter  was  a  teacher 
in  Pleasant  Plains  Academy.  Henry  Summers 
was  sent  to  Canton;  Zadok  Hall,  to  Blooming- 
ton  ;  and  A.  E.  Phelps,  to  Carlisle. 

At  the  close  of  Conference  Mr.  Phelps,  in 
company  with  his  wife,  made  a  visit  to  Mar- 
tinsville,  Ind.,  where  the  widow  of  his  brother 
George  resided.  Whilst  there  he  saw  his  old 
nurse,  whom  he  esteemed  very  highly.  In 
making  this  journey  he  traveled  with  one  horse 
and  carriage.  During  the  trip  there  was  but 
one  rainy  day.  Mr.  Phelps  was  cheerful  and 
communicative,  and  the  journey  did  not  seem 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  43 

long.  On  reaching  his  charge  Jie  found  great 
difficulty  in  procuring  a  house.  At  first  the 
people  seemed  distant,  but  they  soon  mani- 
fested their  friendship  in  many  ways.  The 
cholera  raged  in  some  parts  of  the  circuit.  A 
young  man  died  of  it  at  the  house  in  which 
Mr.  Phelps  lived.*  Carlisle  was  a  very  wicked 
town  of  perhaps  two  thousand  people. 

In  March,  1835,  ne  prepared  and  delivered 
the  following  sermon  on  the  fifteenth  Psalm: 

"  Lord,  who  shall  abide  in  thy  tabernacle?  who  shall  dwell 
in  thy  holy  hill?  He  that  walketh  uprightly,  and  worketh 
righteousness,  and  speakelh  the  truth  in  his  Jieart.  He  that 
backbitcth  not  with  his  tongue,  nor  doeth  evil  to  his  neighbor, 
nor  takelh  up  a  reproach  against  his  neighbor.  In  whose  eyes 
a  vile  person  is  contemned;  but  he  honoreth  them  that  fear 
the  Lord.  He  that  sweareth  to  his  own  hurt,  and  changeth  not. 
He  that  puttelh  not  out  his  money  to  usnry,  nor  taketh  reward 
against  the  innocent.  He  that  doeth  these  things  shall  never 
be  moved." 

The  Book  of  Psalms  contains  one  hundred 
and  fifty  spiritual  hymns  or  songs  of  Zion, 
composed  at  different  times,  on  different  occa- 
sions, and  by  different  men,  and  therefore  em- 
braces a  great  variety  cf  subjects  admirably 
adapted  to  the  diversified  conditions  and  cir- 
cumstances of  Christians  in  the  present  age, 
as  well  as  to  saints  under  the  former  dispen- 

*  Mr.  Webster's  house.  A  Christian  merchant.  His  family 
and  Mr.  Fhclps  were  much  exposed,  but  did  not  take  it. 


44        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

sation.  While  some  contain  grand  and  sub- 
lime descriptions  of  the  majestic  glory  and  the 
inimitable  perfections  of  the  Deity,  others  extol 
his  benevolence,  love,  and  goodness  to  man- 
kind. While  some,  again,  contain  prayers  and 
supplications  fervently  addressed  to  a  throne 
of  grace  for  blessings  and  comforts,  others  are 
the  mere  effusions  of  the  heart  overflowing 
with  gratitude  to  God  for  mercies  bestowed. 
Others,  again,  contain  lively  and  striking  de- 
scriptions of  the  character,  exercises,  and  en- 
joyments of  the  righteous.  Perhaps  no  part 
of  the  Old » Testament  affords  more  striking 
and  accurate  descriptions  of  the  enjoyments 
and  character  of  the  righteous  than  the  Book 
of  Psalms. 

Our  text  is  of  the  latter  class  mentioned. 
It  contains  a  description  of  the  righteous. 
The  Psalmist  here  first  describes  the  right- 
eous man  positively,  and  secondly,  negatively. 
He  first  tells  what  he  does  do,  and  secondly, 
what  he  does  not  do — what  he  refrains  from. 
This  character  the  Psalmist  introduces  to  our 
view  by  proposing  an  interrogatory,  by  asking 
a  question,  "  Lord,  who  shall  abide  in  thy  tab- 
ernacle?" This  Psalm  is  in  the  form  of  a 
dialogue.  The  Psalmist  proposes  a  question, 
and  God  is  represented  as  answering  it,  or 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  45 

suggesting    the    answer   to   the   mind   of   the 
Psalmist. 

The  tabernacle  of  the  Lord,  in  its  original 
sense,  was  a  kind  of  movable  temple,  built  by 
order  of  Moses,  under  the  direction  of  God, 
on  their  march  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  in 
which  the  ark  of  the  covenant  was  placed, 
with  the  mercy  -  seat ;  where  the  Shekinah 
dwelt,  a  visible  symbol  of  the  divine  presence ; 
and  where  God  condescends  to  hold  converse 
with  the  children  of  Israel  through  Moses  and 
Aaron,  and  where  his  glory  was  displayed. 
This  tabernacle  was  carried  with  the  camp  of 
Israel,  on  the  shoulders  of  the  priests  or  Le- 
vites ;  and  even  after  they  arrived  in  the  Holy 
Land  this  tabernacle  had  no  permanent  or 
fixed  place  of  residence,  but  was  moved  about 
from  place  to  place  in  the  care  of  the  priests 
and  judges  of  Israel,  and  is  thus  a  striking 
emblem  of  the  Church  of  God  on  earth  in  this 
•  state  of  discipline  and  trial.  The  Church  is 
here  exposed  to  pelting  storms  and  tempests. 
Her  members  are  here  driven  and  tossed  over 
life's  boisterous  ocean,  exposed  to  difficulties, 
trials,  and  afflictions ;  here  the  saints  of  God 
have  no  permanent  residence  or  inheritance. 
They  are  strangers  and  pilgrims,  seeking  a 
city  out  of  sight,  whose  maker  and  builder  is 


46       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

God.  In  this  state  of  discipline  and  trial  the 
Christian  need  never  expect  perfect  bliss  and 
happiness ;  his  enjoyment  will  be  often  inter- 
rupted by  trouble  and  sorrow.  Here  he  will 
be  tempted  and  tried,  buffeted  by  Satan,  and 
derided  by  the  world.  Therefore  the  Church 
below  is  fitly  represented  by  the  tabernacle. 

Secondly,  "  Who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill  ?" 
This  part  of  the  question  the  Psalmist  proposes 
prophetically  or  prospectively, — this  he  asks  in 
view  of  the  temple  of  God  which  was  subse- 
quently erected  at  Jerusalem.  Although  the 
temple  at  that  time,  probably,  was  not  com- 
menced, yet  the  Psalmist,  under  divine  inspira- 
tion, speaks  of  it  as  then  completed.  This  was 
not  done  till  the  succeeding  age,  by  his  son 
Solomon.  The  temple  is  said  to  have  been 
built  upon  an  eminence  in  Jerusalem,  previ- 
ously called  Zion,  on  Mount  Zion,  and  there- 
fore the  temple  itself  is  called  the  hill  of  the 
Lord,  or  holy  hill,  as  it  stood  upon  a  hill  or 
mountain.  The  temple  at  Jerusalem,  in  point 
of  architecture,  curious  and  beautiful  workman- 
ship, costliness,  splendor,  and  magnificence, 
perhaps  excelled  any  thing  the  world  had  ever 
beheld.  It  was  the  astonishment  and  admira- 
tion of  surrounding  nations.  Not  to  mention 
the  exterior  of  this  superstructure,  the  holy  of 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  47 

holies  was  twenty  cubits  square,  all  hand- 
somely ceiled,  even  to  the  very  floor,  with  the 
most  refined  and  pure  gold,  with  two  cherubim 
spreading  forth  their  golden  wings,  touching 
the  wall  on  each  side  with  the  extremity  of 
their  wings,  and  overshadowing  the  mercy- 
seat,  where  the  divine  Shekinah  dwelt. 

As  the  temple  was  permanent,  and  designed 
to  stand  through  the  revelations  of  time  to  the 
end  of  the  Jewish  polity,  till  after  the  scepter 
shall  have  departed  from  Judah,  and  as  it  ex- 
celled in  glory  any  superstructure,  perhaps, 
the  world  had  ever  beheld,  it  was  a  proper 
emblem  or  type  of  heaven,  of  that  state  of 
perfect  rest  and  consummate  bliss  and  happi- 
ness which  awaits  the  righteous  beyond  the 
confines  of  the  grave,  beyond  the  shores  of 
time.  This  St.  Paul  clearly  intimates  when 
writing  to  the  Hebrews ;  he  there  represents 
the  temple  with  its  various  equipage  as  a 
figure  of  heaven,  of  the  New  Jerusalem  de- 
scending from  God  out  of  heaven. 

And,  therefore,  as  the  tabernacle  repre- 
sented the  Church  militant,  and  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem  the  Church  triumphant — on  the  one 
side  the  Church  below,  and  on  the  other  the 
Church  above — the  question  proposed  may  be 
paraphrased  thus :  Lord,  who  shall  abide  in 


48        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

thy  tabernacle?  who  shall  be  recognized  as  an 
acceptable  member  of  thy  Church  on  earth? 
who  shall  enjoy  thy  approving  smiles  here? 
who  shall  be  considered  worthy  to  dwell  in  thy 
presence  and  be  called  an  "Israelite  indeed," 
seeing  that  all  are  not  Israel  who  are  of 
Israel  ?  And  who  shall  dwell  in  thy  holy  hill  ? 
who  shall  be  considered  worthy  of  eternal  life 
at  last?  who  shall  be  admitted  into  that  state 
of  consummate  bliss  and  perfect  rest  typified 
or  pointed  out  by  the  temple  at  Jerusalem? 

The  Psalmist  then  proceeds  to  answer  the 
question:  "He  that  walketh  uprightly,  and 
worketh  righteousness,  and  speaketh  the  truth 
in  his  heart."  In  these  words  he  gives  the 
outlines  of  his  character.  He  "  walketh  up- 
rightly." He  walks  erect  before  God,  he  or- 
ders his  steps  aright,  he  has  the  fear  of  God 
continually  before  his  eyes.  To  walk  up- 
rightly, to  walk  with  God,  etc.,  are  figurative 
expressions,  used  in  the  Scriptures  to  imply 
entire  obedience  to  the  law  of  God,  the  ob- 
servance of  his  commandments  to  discharge 
all  the  duties  we  owe  to  God.  Therefore  he 
that  walks  uprightly  is  one  whose  delight  is  in 
the  law  of  God,  and  who  meditates  therein 
both  day  and  night.  He  constantly  lives  with 
an  eye  single  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  con- 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  49 

stantly  has  his  whole  body  full  of  light.  He 
has  consecrated  himself  unreservedly  to  God, 
and  glorifies  him  in  his  body  and  spirit,  which 
are  the  Lord's.  -  He  looks  to  the  Word  of  God 
as  the  man  of  his  counsel ;  by  it  he  regulates 
his  conduct  and  squares  his  life.  He  makes  the 
glory  of  God  his  constant  object  in  all  he  does. 
All  the  business  of  life  is  commenced,  carried 
o'n,  and  completed  with  an  eye  to  his  glory. 
In  short,  this  is  his  ultimate  end  and  object 
through  life.  He  also  worketh  righteousness. 
He  not  only  loves  God,  and  rests  supremely 
satisfied  and  delighted  in  him,  but  he  also  de- 
lights in  doing  his  will,  in  advancing  his  king- 
dom on  earth  and  promoting  his  glory  among 
men  by  every  means  within  his  reach. 

Religion  is  not  a  mere  speculative  some- 
thing that  occupies  only  the  "head;  it  does  not 
consist  in  theory,  in  any  set  of  doctrines  or 
opinions,  however  Scriptural  those  opinions  or 
doctrines  may  be ;  nor  does  it  consist  in  any 
peculiar  frame  of  mind  or  set  of  feelings,  or  even 
enjoyment  itself, — though  it  is  true  religion, 
when  possessed  in  its  moral  excellence,  will 
afford  enjoyment.  It  will  create  a  right  frame 
of  mind,  a  right  set  of  feelings ;  but  these  are 
not  religion  itself.  They  are  merely  the  effects 
or  immediate  fruits  of  religion.  Religion  I 

5 


5O       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

understand  to  be  simply  the  love  of  God  shed 
abroad  in  the  heart,  influencing  and  controlling 
the  life.  So  with  the  righteous  man  in  the 
text;  he  not  only  possesses  and  enjoys  relig- 
ion, but  he  also  practices  it, — he  works  right- 
eousness. He  is  actively  and  constantly  en- 
gaged in  doing  good  of  every  possible  sort, 
and  as  far  as  possible  to  all  men. 

Every  man  may  be  contemplated  as  sus- 
taining a  relation  both  to  God  and  to  his 
neighbor  or  to  his  fellow -beings.  Each  of 
these  relations  gives  birth  to  a  certain  class 
of  duties.  The  relations  he  sustains  to  God 
bring  him  under  obligations  to  God,  and  the 
relations  he  sustains  to  his  neighbor  give  birth 
to  certain  duties  to  him ;  and  to  be  a  Christian 
or  a  righteous  man  he  must  discharge  his  du- 
ties of  both  classes,  both  those  he  owes  to 
God  and  his  fellow-men.  Therefore  the  right- 
eous man  is  engaged  in  doing  good,  not  only 
to  bodies,  but  also  to  the  souls  of  men.  He 
not  only  feeds  the  hungry,  clothes  the  naked, 
visits  the  sick,  relieves  the  suffering,  but  he 
admonishes  and  exhorts  with  all  long-suffering 
and  doctrine,  and  by  every  possible  means  la- 
bors to  improve  their  moral  condition  and  ad- 
vance their  spiritual  interest.  That  man  who 
would  shut  religion,  as  it  were,  up  in  his  own 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  5 1 

heart,  or  restrain  its  influence  to  his  own  fam- 
ily or  connection,  or  even  to  his  own  neighbor- 
hood, That  man  who  feels  no  concern  about 
sinners,  or  for  their  salvation,  must  be  a  stran- 
ger to  the  spirituality  of  religion  ;  for  wherever 
religion  is  possessed,  in  its  life  and  spirit,  it 
will  inspire  the  breast  of  its  possessor  with  an 
ardent  desire  to  bring  others  to  its  enjoyment, 
to  a  participation  in  its  blessings.  Wherever 
religion  fills  the  heart  it  will  awaken  a  concern 
for  the  salvation  of  sinners,  for  all  men.  There- 
fore, the  individual  that  feels  no  such  concern 
is  destitute  of  religion  itself.  The  man  that 
possesses  religion  in  all  its  moral  excellence  is 
a  man  of  zeal,  of  perseverance  in  well-doing; 
he  is  indefatigable  in  his  work  and  labor  of  love. 
He  is  not  a  nuisance  to  society,  he  is  not  a  neu- 
tral in  the  ranks,  and  not  a  blank  in  creation; 
but  he  is  a  man  of  usefulness,  and  is  always  en- 
gaged in  doing  good.  No  matter  whether  an 
official  or  private  member  in  the  Church,  no 
matter  how  limited  his  talents  or  acquirements, 
he  feels  that  he  has  a  work  to  do  in  the 
Church,  and  that  work  he  willingly  and  zeal- 
ously performs.  He  views  the  Gospel  as 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  Church,  and  the 
means  of  extending  the  Redeemer's  kingdom 
as  placed  within  her  reach,  and  the  members 


52        TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

individually  held  responsible  to  God  for  the 
manner  in  which  they  use  those  means ;  there- 
fore he  actively  co-operates  with  the  Church 
in  every  benevolent  institution,  in  every  relig- 
ious enterprise,  which  confessedly  have  for 
their  object  the  spread  of  the  Gospel,  the  dif- 
fusion of  Scriptural  knowledge,  and  the  salva- 
tion of  the  world. 

The  man  mentioned  here  by  the  Psalmist 
makes  religion  his  business ;  he  only  lives  to 
get  good  and  do  good ;  therefore,  wherever  he 
is,  Christ  is  the  subject  of  his  conversation. 
Next  to  his  own  salvation  he  feels  the  great- 
est concern  for  those  around  him.  He  carries 
the  sacred  leaven  with  him  wherever  he  goes. 
He  considers  no  man  unworthy  of  his  atten- 
tion, none  too  low,  if  he  can  only  be  instru- 
mental thereby  in  benefiting  the  souls  of 
others.  In  short,  he  lets  no  means  or  no 
opportunity  of  doing  good  pass  unimproved. 

"He  worketh  righteousness,  and  speaketh 
the  truth  in  his  heart."  He  not  only  walketh 
uprightly,  and  worketh  righteousness,  but  he 
is  also  a  man  of  truth,  of  candor,  of  veracity. 
He  is  a  man  fully  worthy  of  public  and  private 
confidence,  on  whose  word  the  utmost  reliance 
may  be  placed.  He  is  a  stranger  to  hypoc- 
risy, to  dissimulation ;  he  never  acts  in  disguise 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  5  3 

under  a  mask  or  under  a  cloak ;  his  words  and 
actions  are  the  real  sentiments  of  his  heart. 
He  meets  all  his  engagements,  complies  with 
all  his  contracts,  and  holds  his  word  or  prom- 
ise sacred.  He  not  only  avoids  the  common 
practice  of  lying,  but  also  despises  misrepre- 
sentation. He  never  exaggerates,  magnifies, 
or  gives  coloring  .to  any  thing.  He"  never  tries 
to  deceive.  He  avoids  every  kind  of  phrase- 
ology which  would  be  likely  to  mislead.  He 
never  tells  a  part  of  the  truth  and  keeps  back 
a  part,  in  view  of  deceiving.  When  a  man 
tells  a  part  of  the  truth  and  keeps  back  a  part, 
with  a  design  to  deceive,  it  amounts  to  a  pos- 
itive lie,  and  is  equally  culpable  in  the  eyes  of 
the  divine  law.  Hence  the  man  presented  be- 
fore us  by  the  Psalmist  studiously  avoids  every 
kind  of  language  which  has  a  tendency  to  mis- 
lead. He  holds  himself  responsible  for  every 
false  or  erroneous  impression  his  records  are 
calculated  to  make  upon  the  minds  of  others. 
He  is  not  responsible  for  the  mistakes  of 
others,  for  their  misconceptions  or  misunder- 
standings of  his  words ;  but  he  is  responsible 
for  using  language  with  a  design  of  misleading. 
He  remembers  that  he  will  have  to  give  an 
account  to  God  for  every  idle  word ;  therefore 
he  sets  a  watch  on  his  lips  and  bridles  his 


54       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

tongue.  This  man  not  only  speaks  the  truth 
accidentally  or  occasionally,  but  he  speaks  it 
in  his  heart,  says  the  word  he  aims  at;  he 
studies  it  at  all  times  and  under  all  circum- 
stances. He  is  a  man  of  truth  in  every  re- 
spect ;  his  heart  and  life  are  in  complete  con- 
formity to  the  principles  of  divine  truth.  His 
conduct,  his  life  throughout,  is  a  precise  picture 
of  his  heart.  Therefore  he  neither  deceives 
by  his  words  nor  his  actions. 

"He  that  backbiteth  not  with  his  tongue." 
The  Psalmist  having  in  the  preceding  verse 
given  a  kind  of  general  description  of  the 
righteous,  having  drawn  the  outlines  of  his 
character,  now  proceeds  to  a  more  minute  de- 
scription. Backbiting — that  is,  speaking  evil 
of  an  absent  neighbor,  telling  of  a  man's  faults 
in  his  absence.  Evil  -  speaking,  tale -bearing, 
evil-whispering,  and  such  like,  are  all  embraced 
under  the  head  of  backbiting.  Some  seem  to 
think  that  they  do  their  neighbors  no  injustice, 
no  moral  wrong,  to  speak  of  their  faults,  in 
case  we  do  not  magnify  them  or  exaggerate ; 
but  I  apprehend  in  this  case  we  are  guilty  of 
a  positive  violation  of  the  law  of  God,  and  a 
departure  from  the  apostolic  injunction,  which 
is,  "Brethren,  speak  not  evil  one  of  another," 
and  again,  "Speak  evil  of  no  man." 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  55 

In  speaking  evil  of  our  neighbor  we  not 
only  do  an  injustice  when  he  has  no  opportu- 
nity of  self-vindication  or  defense,  but  we  do 
the  settlement  at  large  an  injury,  and  greatly 
hinder  the  progress  of  religion.  A  few  re- 
marks made  about  an  absent  brother,  even 
without  any  design  of  injuring  him,  and  under- 
stood so  by  the  person  to  whom  they  are 
made,  many  times  effect  much  mischief  in  the 
end.  They  are  handed  from  one  to  another 
till  the  whole  neighborhood  is  sometimes  agi- 
tated, inflamed,  and  set  on  fire.  How  true  it 
is,  how  great  a  matter  a  little  fire  kindles ! 
The  tongue  is  a  world  of  iniquity.  It  setteth 
on  fire  the  course  of  nature,  and  it  is  set  on 
fire  of  hell.  Evil  reports  on  our  neighbor 
are  not  apt  to  lose  much  by  way  of  transpor- 
tation ;  they  very  .seldom  grow  much  better  on 
their  passage;  but,  on  the  contrary,  the  far- 
ther they  go  the  worse  they  get.  Like  the 
fulminating  cloud  charged  with  electric  matter, 
the  farther  it  travels  the  more  it  accumulates, 
the  more  fearful  and  alarming  is  its  appear- 
ance,— just  so  with  such  reports,  the  farther 
they  go  the  worse  they  grow,  the  more  de- 
structive and  withering  their  influence.  Such 
is  the  depravity  of  our  natures  that  we  can 
scarcely  speak  of  men's  faults  in  their  absence 


56       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

without  some  misrepresentation,  without  exag- 
gerating a  little,  or  giving  some  false  coloring ; 
therefore  we  should  be  very  careful  not  to 
have  any  thing  to  say  about  any  one  of  an 
injurious  character  in  his  absence. 

The  old  adage  on  this  subject,  I  think,  is 
an  excellent  one:  "Speak  of  no  man's  virtues 
to  his  face,  .nor  of  his  faults  behind  his  back." 
Much  evil  which  now  exists  would  be  remedied 
were  this  rule  universally  observed/  But  I  ap- 
prehend it  does  not  require  us  designedly  to 
conceal,  much  less  to  encourage,  the  petty  faults 
of  others ;  but  it  forbids  our  publishing  them  to 
the  world,  speaking  of  them  in  the  absence  of 
the  subject,  unless  the  cause  of  Christ  abso- 
lutely requires  them  to  be  exposed.  But  if 
your  brother  has  faults  that  you  believe  to  be 
serious,  and  are  of  a  pernicious  tendency, 
there  is  a  remedy  prescribed  in  the  Gospel  ; 
that  is,  "If  thy  brother  offend  thee,  go  and  tell 
him  his  fault  between  thee  and  him  alone." 
Do  it  in  such  love,  with  such  mildness,  and  in 
such  a  spirit  as  to  convince  him  that  you  aim 
not  to  offend,  not  to  wound,  but  to  benefit 
him ;  that  his  good  and  the  good  of  the  Church 
are  the  only  objects  you  have  in  view.  But 
if  unsuccessful  in  this,  the  second  step  pre- 
scribed is,  "Take  one  or  two  with  thee,"  that 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  57 

reproof  administered  in  a  proper  spirk  in  the 
presence  of  faithful  witnesses  may  have  its  de- 
sired effect ;  but  if  still  unsuccessful  you  are  to 
inform  the  Church,  or  "publish  it  before  the 
Church,"  in  the  third  place;  and  if  the  offender 
remain  impenitent  expulsion  is  indispensable. 
This  rule,  I  apprehend,  however,  was  not  de- 
signed to  apply  to  private  offenses.  "If  thy 
brother  offend  thee,"  said  our  Lord,  as  an 
individual,  not  the  Church  of  God.  But  rea- 
son would  teach  that  private  confession  and 
acknowledgment  can  never  arrest  the  bad  tend- 
ency of  a  public  offense ;  private  acknowledg- 
ment can  never  take  away  the  reproach  that 
a  public  offense  has  brought  upon  the  Church. 
Therefore,  for  a  public  offense  a  public  prose- 
cution should  be  commenced,  and  a  public  ac- 
knowledgment at  last  should  be  required.  But 
even  in  that  case,  or  in  case  of  expulsion,  we 
should  still  respect  the  member  thus  cut  off, 
and  should  not  expose  his  faults  any  more  than 
the  cause  of  Christ  requires. 

"  Nor  doeth  evil  to  his  neighbor."  He  does 
his  neighbor  no  injury  in  any  way  whatever, 
neither  his  person,  his  interest,  his  character, 
nor  his  reputation.  He  holds  his  character  sa- 
cred, and  regards  his  interest  as  he  regards 
his  own.  He  is  not  required  to  study  his 


58        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

neighbor's  interest  as  he  studies  his  own ;  yet 
I  apprehend  if  he  loves  his  neighbor  as  he 
loves  himself  it  will  restrain  him  «from  doing 
any  thing  to  his  neighbor  he.  would  not  have 
done  to  himself,  and  thus  to  regard  every 
man's  interest  and  welfare  as  he  regards  his 
own.  Consequently  he  never  pursues  any 
business  in  life  which  might  conflict  with  his 
neighbor's  interest,  his  present  or  eternal  wel- 
fare. He  never  labors  to  enrich  his  coffers  at 
his  neighbor's  expense. 

Here  let  me  ask,  Can  any  man  that  distills, 
vends,  or  sells  ardent  spirits,  either  by  whole- 
sale or  retail,  be  said  to  do  his  neighbor  no 
evil?  I  apprehend  not.  All  such  are  striv- 
ing to  promote  their  interest  and  enrich  their 
coffers  at  the  expense  of  ruining  their  neigh- 
bor's soul  and  body  for  time  and  eternity,  his 
character  and  reputation ;  at  the  expense  of 
beggaring,  reducing  his  wife  to  poverty  and 
distress,  and  disgracing  and  reproaching  his 
connection.  That  man  who  would  furnish  the 
antagonist  with  a  weapon  to  murder  his  friend, 
and  then  destroy  his  own  life,  is  certainly  ac- 
cessory to  the  crime,  and  is  equally  guilty  with 
the  murderer  himself.  This  is  precisely  the 
light  in  which  the  vender  of  ardent  spirits  is 
to  be  viewed.  He  not  only  furnishes  his 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  59 

neighbor  with  the  means  of  murdering  himself, 
but  of  robbing  his  family  of  the  comforts  and 
necessaries  of  life,  and  at  last  of  ruining  them 
and  himself,  both  soul  and  body.  All  such  are 
both  robbers  and  murderers  in  the  sight  of 
God ;  and  even  worse  than  that,  for  they  mur- 
der the  soul  as  well  as  the  body.  The  right- 
eous man  doeth  his  neighbor  no  evil.  The 
word  neighbor  here  is  evidently  used  in  its 
most  common  acceptation  in  the  Scripture,  to 
signify  all  men. 

But  there  is  still  another  way  in  which  we 
may  do  a  man  an  injury,  and  that  is  in  with- 
holding information,  advice,  counsel,  or  assist- 
ance when  he  needs  it,  and  is  likely  to  suffer 
without  it.  Did  we  see  combinations  or  con- 
spiracies formed  against  him  ?  Did  we  see 
evil  designed  against  him,  either  to  his  person, 
his  property,  or  his  character?  Did  we  see 
him  about  to  suffer  wrongfully  in  any  way  what- 
ever? and  did  we  withhold  from  him  that  in- 
formation or  assistance  in  that  case?  If  so, 
we  did  him  an  injury.  In  informing  our  neigh- 
bor of  evil  designed  against  him  we  could  not 
be  considered  tale -bearing  or  evil  -  speaking, 
if  we  do  it  in  order  to  save  him  from  suf- 
fering wrongfully.  In  that  case  we  discharge 
a  duty  we  owe  to  him,  no  matter  whether  he 


60        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

is  our  friend  or  enemy,  whether  he  hates  or 
loves  us.  There  is  an  old  maxim  that  he  who 
would  not  save  life  when  he  has  it  in  his  power 
is  a  murderer,  and  should  be  dealt  with  accord- 
ingly ;  and  I  apprehend  the  principle  will  .hold 
good  in  morality,  in  all  cases,  that  he  who  has 
it  in  his  power  to  save  his  neighbor  from  any 
injury  whatever,  without  too  great  a  sacrifice 
on  his  part,  and  will  not  do  it,  is  accessory  to 
the  wrong  his  neighbor  suffers,  and  is  conse- 
quently guilty  in  the  sight  of  God.  So  the 
righteous  man  is  represented  in  Scripture  as 
doing  his  neighbor  no  evil. 

"  Nor  taketh  up  a  reproach  against  his 
neighbor."  This  may  imply  two  things.  First, 
he  does  not  readily  believe  evil  of  any  man, 
and  is  exceedingly  unwilling  to  believe  evil 
tidings  of  any  man.  Charity  tninketh  no  evil. 
That  man  who  is  entirely  under  the  influence 
of  charity  or  love  does  not  readily  form  an 
opinion  of  any  person.  He  examines  the  sub- 
ject well ;  he  matures,  weighs,  and  requires 
the  most  convincing  evidence,  such  as  he  can 
not  resist,  before  he  can  be  induced  to  believe 
evil  of  any  man.  Even  when  convinced  of  the 
fact  that  his  neighbor  did  wrong,  and  has  by 
crime  brought  reproach  upon  himself,  he  still 
puts  the  most  favorable  construction  possible 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  61 

upon  it ;  he  hopes  thaj;  the  circumstances  were 
of  such  a  nature  as  to  palliate  the  offense,  or 
at  least  that  his  motives  were  good.  Thus  he 
taketh  not  up  a  reproach,  and  does  not  easily 
believe  reproachful  reports  of  others. 

He  not  only  opposes  the  grosser  vices,  but 
also  the  most  fashionable  and  popular  ones,  as 
well  as  others.  How  many  of  us  possess  this 
kind  of  courage  ?  How  many  of  us  take  a 
bold,  fearless,  and  decisive  stand  against  sin  ? 
On  the  other  hand,  how  often  do  we  feel  such 
modesty,  or  such  a  fear  of  losing  our  popular- 
ity, that  we  fear  to  take  an  open  stand  against 
vices,  particularly  those  that  are  most  com- 
mon? If  we  do  not  justify  them  or  counte- 
nance them,  we  dreac|  to  oppose  them.  It  is 
not  so  with  the  Psalmist.  He  openly  and 
fearlessly  opposed  every  thing  of  the  kind, 
all  vice  and  crime,  without  exception.  But 
he  honoreth  them  that  fear  the  Lord.  Such 
is  his  love  for  virtue,  his  veneration  for  the 
religion  of  the  Bible,  his  holy  reverence  for 
God,  that  he  honoreth  them  that  fear  him ;  he 
feels  a  peculiar  respect,  a  very  tender  regard, 
for  the  true  Christian.  The  fear  of  God  is 
many  times  taken  for  the  whole  of  godliness, 
the  whole  of  religion,  and  in  this  sense  I  ap- 
prehend it  is  used  in  the  text.  He  honoreth 


62        TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

them  that  fear  the  moral  image  of  God,  them 
that  prove  themselves  by  their  conduct,  to  be 
the  disciples  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus. 

"He  that  sweareth  to  his  own  hurt,  and 
changeth  not."  He  affirms  the  truth  under 
the  solemnities  of  an  oath  without  any  regard 
to  consequences.  Although  that  truth  which 
he  affirms  may  directly  conflict  with  his  inter- 
est, yet  he  swerves  not  on  that  account.  He 
speaks  the  truth  on  all  such  occasions,  as  well 
as  others,  regardless  of  consequences,  or  the 
smiles  or  frowns  of  others.  He  is  willing  to 
sacrifice  the  favor  of  men,  his  dearest  worldly 
interest,  and  life,  if  required,  for  the  sake  of 
the  truth;  th'^  he  holds  more  sacred  than  any 
thing  else. 

"And  changeth  not."  Others  may  change, 
circumstances  may  change,  time  may  effect  va- 
rious revolutions,  but  he  remains  unshakenly 
and  inflexibly  attached  to  the  truth ;  and  should 
the  very  truths  which  he  has  espoused  and  af- 
firmed be  brought  into  derision,  and  treated 
with  contempt,  he  remains  unaffected  and  un- 
moved. He  is  firm  and  immutable  in  his  ad- 
herence to  truth,  however  he  may  change  in 
other  matters  where  no  moral  principle  is 
involved,  as  truth  itself. 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  63 

But  where  my  neighbor  is  driven  by  pov- 
erty or  pressing"  necessity  to  borrow  money  to 
secure  him  a  home  or  the  necessaries  of  life, 
and  I  take  the  advantage  of  his  necessities 
and  make  money  out  of  his  misfortune,  of  his 
emergency  and  distress,  it  would  be  usury  in 
the  extreme,  extortion  in  the  highest  degree. 
This  the  righteous  man  mentioned  in  our  text 
does  not  do.  He  oppresses  or  injures  no  man 
by  speculating  with  his  money.  In  a  word,  he 
does  precisely  to  others  as  he  would  that  they 
should  do  unto  him. 

Lastly,  he  taketh  not  a  reward  against  the 
innocent.  He  can  not  be  bribed ;  no  price 
will  purchase  him,  or  induce  him  to  pervert 
justice.  No  incentive  that  can  be  presented 
to  his  mind,  no  reward  that  can  be  offered, 
can  possibly  enlist  him  against  the  innocent, 
no  matter  what  their  poverty,  what  their  ig- 
norance, what  their  social  affiliation. 

"That  man"  may  be  forsaken  by  his  friends, 
deserted  by  his  relatives ;  he  may  be  bereft  of 
every  worldly  comfort,  and  stripped  of  all  his 
earthly  fortune.  Earth  and  hell  may  even 
combine  against  him,  the  artillery  of  the  infer- 
nal regions  may  be  leveled  at  him — in  a  word, 
all  opposing  powers  may  assail  him ;  but  the 
promises  of  God  are  still  pledged  to  his  pro- 


64        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

tection,  the  arms  of  Omnipotence  will  environ 
him  around,  his  grace  will  still  support  him. 
"He  shall  never  be  moved" 

The  year  passed  off  pleasantly,  though  un- 
marked by  noted  revivals  on  that  circuit.  John 
S.  Barger  was  the  presiding  elder  of  the  dis- 
trict. At  a  quarterly-meeting,  April  19,  1835, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Phelps  presented  George  for 
baptism.  Elder  Barger  administered  the  holy 
ordinance  with  great  solemnity. 

During  the  year  Mr.  Phelps  devoted  much 
time  to  the  work  of  preparation  for  the  pulpit. 
He  prepared  and  delivered  a  searching  sermon 
on  "The  Cross,"  from  Matthew  xvi,  24.  He 
regarded  Christ's  declaration  that  his  followers 
"must  suffer  persecution"  as  "well  calculated 
to  inspire  all  with  the  belief  that  he  was  not 
an  impostor;"  that  "sin  is  inviting  to  the  nat- 
ural man;"  that  "some  who  compromise  will 
make  disciples,  but  that  Jesus  required  his  fol- 
lowers to  take  up  the  cross  and  follow  him." 
"The  work  of  sanctification  is  commenced  in 
the  act  of  regeneration,  but  not  completed. 
This  is  a  subsequent  attainment.  This  is 
received  by  faith,  either  gradually  or  instan- 
taneously, after  regeneration.  Regeneration' 
frees  us  from  the  power  and  dominion,  but  not 


ALTON — CARROLLTON — CARLISLE.  65 

from  the  inbeing  of  sin.  The  carnal  mind  is 
subdued,  but  not  exterminated.  This  is  effected 
by  sanctification.  Were  our  natures  entirely 
sanctified  we  would  still  have  need  of  watching 
ourselves,  but  more  particularly  until  this  is 
attained.  After  we  have  obtained  religion, 
whoever  will  observe  closely  the  state  of  his 
own  mind  will  find  passions,  affections,  desires, 
appetites,  and  propensities  at  times  lurking 
within  him,  which  are  sinful  and  unholy  in 
themselves,  and  if  not  suppressed  would  soon 
bring  forth  practical  infidelity.  He  will  often 
find  strong  indications  to  anger,  wrath,  envy, 
resentment,  revenge,  malice,  backbiting,  evil- 
speaking,  tale-bearing,  to  covetousness,  the  love 
of  the  world,  to  strife,  to  sedition,  to  pride,  and 
almost  every  other  species  of  vice.  And  these 
must  be  suppressed  in  their  very  first  motions, 
their  germ,  or  they  will  bring  forth  death." 

His  views  on  a  great  doctrine  are  clearly 
set  forth  in  the  preceding  remarks.  His  view 
was  the  common  doctrine  of  the  fathers  in 
those  days. 


CHAPTER  THIRD. 

HIS  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT— PEORI A  MISSION. 

Conference  at  Springfield — G.  G.  Worthington — Richard 
Haney — B.  T.  Kavanaugh — George  Rutledge — Appointments — 
His  Circuit — Parsonage — Well — Church — Birth  of  Agnes  E. — 
Revival — Jesse  Walker's  Death — W.  B.  Mack — Number  re- 
ceived on  Trial — Prominent  Appointments — Large  Quarterly- 
meetings — Correspondence  with  William  Davenport — Sermon 
on  the  Witness  of  the  Spirit — Funeral  of  William  H.  Holt — 
Sermon  on  Baptism — Conference  at  Jacksonville — M.  Bourn — • 
T.  J.  Kirkpatrick— Pastor  of  Peoria  Mission — Preached  in  the 
Court- house — Rev.  Mr  Huntoon — Assaults  Orthodox — Was 
vanquished  by  Mr.  Phelps — Lectures — Conference  at  Alton — 
Nathan  Jewett  —  Joseph  Kirkpatrick — Increase — Michael  S. 
Taylor's  Death. 

CONFERENCE  was  held  at  Springfield. 
The  increase  was  very  small,  only  two 
hundred  and  forty-two  in  the  entire  bounds  of 
the  Conference.  Nineteen  were  admitted  on 
trial.  Of  this  number  were  G.  G.  Worthing- 
ton, Richard  Haney,  B.  T.  Kavanaugh,  George 
Rutlege.  Alfred  Brunson  was  sent  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians  on  the  Upper  Missis- 
sippi; J.  Woodworth,  to  Henderson  Mission; 
H.  Summers,  to  Knoxville  Mission;  W.  C. 
Cummings,  to  Peoria  Mission.  S.  L.  Robinson 
66 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  67 

was  transferred  to  Indiana  Conference,  and  T. 
N.  Ralston  to  Kentucky  Conference.  A.  E. 
Phelps  was  appointed  to  Pekin;  J.  Arington 
was  the  junior  preacher. 

Mr.  Phelps  visited  his  father  for  the  last 
time.*  He  then  went  to  his  new  circuit.  He 
preached  at  Pekin,  Lacon,f  Washington,  Hen- 
nepin,  Cedar  Point,  Oxbow,  Crow  Prairie,  and 
several  other  places.  From  the  first  he  drew^ 
great  crowds  to  hear  him  preach.  He  was 
very  active,  and  a  fine  speaker.  The  parson- 
age, the  first  he  ever  lived  in,  was  at  Wash- 
ington. Finding  no  well  on  the  lot,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  dig  one,  which  he  did  by  carrying 
the  dirt  out  in  a  pail  by  means  of  a  ladder. 
This  required  great  labor.  There  was  a  good 
frame  church  at  Washington.  Mr.  Phelps  arid 
his  colleague  worked  earnestly. 

Agnes  Elleanor  was   born   in    Washington, 
August  14,  1837. 

"A  flower  that  does,  with  opening  morn,  arise, 
And,  flourishing  the  day,  at  evening  dies."  J 

"  Between  two  worlds,  life  hovers  like  a  star 
'Twixt  night  and  morn,  upon  the  horizon's  verge."  |J 


*  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  for  fifty  years,  and  died  in  peace  ;it  a  ripe  old  age. 
f  Columbia  then.     D.  Markley's  letter  to  the  author. 
J  Prior.  ||  Byron, 


68        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

There  was  a  good  revival  on  the  charge, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  year  they  reported  an 
increase  of  seventy-seven. 

The  Conference  met  at  Rushville,  and  re- 
ported an  increase  of  seventeen  hundred  and 
eighty-six,  forty-eight  of  whom  were  Indians 
who  belonged  to  the  Oneida  Mission.  Jesse 
Walker  died  October  5,  1835,  during  the  ses- 
sion of  the  Conference.  He  came  to  Illinois, 
which  was  then  a  bleak  wilderness,  in  1807. 
"He  died  at  his  home  in  Cook  County,  in  the 
bosom  of  his  family,  in  full  and  confident  hope 
of  a  blessed  immortality."  The  Church  also 
lost  a  man  of  fine  talents  at  this  Conference, 
W.  B.  Mack,  who  had  fallen  into  gross  immo- 
rality. He  was  presiding  elder  of  the  Chicago 
District  at  the  time.  He  united  with  a  sister 
Church,  and  continued  in  the  ministry.  Of  the 
thirty-five  admitted  to  the  Conference  on  trial 
were  Chauncy  Hobart,  Norris  Hobart,  C.  J. 
Houts,  William  Haney,  and  Samuel  Pillsbury. 
Henry  Summers  was  presiding  elder  of  Rock 
Island  District.  Richard  Haney  went  to  Min- 
eral Point,  in  Wisconsin.  J.  Dew  was  Presi- 
dent of  M'Kendree  College;  and  B.  T.  Kav- 
anaugh,  Agent.  A.  E.  Phelps  was  returned 
to  Pekin  Circuit;  John  M'Murtry  was  his  col- 
league. 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  69 

There  was  a  fine  revival  on  the  circuit. 
The  quarterly -meetings  were  most  excellent, 
and  largely  attended.  One,  held  at  Walnut 
Grove,  is  yet  remembered  with  pleasure.  At 
this  meeting  Mr.  Phelps  was  surprised  to  see 
his  father-in-law,  Joseph  Caterline,  who  had 
come  sixty  miles  on  horseback. 

During  this  year  Mr.  Phelps  was  drawn 
into  a  correspondence  with  Mr.  Davenport,  of 
Walnut  Grove,  a  minister  of  the  Disciple 
Church.  Mr.  Davenport  was  the  champion  of 
this  doctrine  in  Illinois.  He  had  held  a  public 
discussion  with  a 'Methodist  minister  recently 
on  the  subject  of  Infant  Baptism,  with  good 
success,  and  he  was  very  anxious  to  renew  the 
conflict  with  Mr.  Phelps.  The  letters  of  Mr. 
Davenport  show  him  to  have  been  a  man  of 
some  culture,  a  shrewd  schemer,  and  a  skilled 
debater.  He  labored  so  to  arrange  the  prop- 
ositions for  discussion  as  to  limit  the  Scriptural 
proofs  to  the  New  Testament.  He  thought 
the  Book  of  Acts  contained  all  necessary  au- 
thority on  the  subject.  Mr.  Phelps  replied 
quite  at  length  to  the  letters  of  Mr.  Daven- 
port, and  preached  a  sermon  on  the  points  at 
issue,  to  which  Mr.  Davenport  replied,  some 
time  after.  Then  the  correspondence  ceased 
for  a  time. 


7o       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

He  prepared  and  delivered  a  number  of  ser- 
mons on  the  doctrines  of  our  Church,  among 
which  was  this  on  the  Witness  of  the  Spirit: 

The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we 
nre  the  children  of  God. — ROMANS  vin,  16. 

Had  the  Christian  been  left  in  this  life  with- 
out a  knowledge  of  his  acceptance  with  his 
God,  without  any  assurance  that  his  sins  were 
pardoned  and  that  he  was  recognized  as  a 
child  of  God  and  heir  of  heaven,  unfortunate 
would  have  been  his  condition,  and  unhappy, 
painful,  must  have  been  the  suspense  in  which 
he  was  held,  and  extreme  must  have  been  the 
agitation  and  distress  of  his  mind  had  he  been 
left  in  this  condition.  No  uncertainty  can  be 
so  distressing  and  painful  as  that  concerning 
our  eternal  destiny,  our  future  happiness,  to 
those  who  are  fully  awake  to  the  subject,  who 
are  alive  to  the  interest  of  their  souls,  as  the 
Christian  must  necessarily  be.  Therefore,  were 
his  acceptance  with  his  God  involved  in  doubt, 
extreme  uneasiness  and  distress  of  mind  must 
have  been  the  result.  In  that  case  the  Christian 
would  have  all  the  duties  of  religion  to  discharge, 
all  its  restraints  to  bear,  its  persecutions  and 
reproach  to  share,  without  its  enjoyment,  with- 
out its  consolations ;  for  unless  we  were  con- 
scious that  we  possessed  it  we  could  not  enjoy 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  71 

it.  Without  a  sense  of  pardon  and  a  con- 
sciousness that  God  had  accepted  us,  it  would 
be  impossible  to  experience  that  peace  and 
enjoyment  which  flows  from  the  smiles  and 
approbation  of  God.  And  should  .he  at  times 
even  entertain  a  hope  that  his  sins  were  for- 
given, that  hope,  in  the  hour  of  peculiar  trial 
and  temptation,  would  ^evidently  give  place 
to  distressing  fear,  if  not  to  despair  itself. 
Therefore,  were  the  Christian  left  without  a 
certain  knowledge  that  his  sins  were  pardoned, 
at  most  his  mind  would  be  agitated  alternately. 
In  this  condition  the  Christian  himself  would 
descend  to  the  grave  .with  very  timorous  and 
trembling  steps.  The  tomb  to  him  would  be 
a  gloomy  mansion.  Hope  might  throw  a  tran- 
sient, flickering  ray  of  light  upon  his  path  in 
his  descent,  it  is  true ;  but  without  an  assur- 
ance of  God's  pardoning  mercy  such  a  hope 
must  necessarily  be  short-lived — would  fluctu- 
ate, and  consequently  would  render  the  dark- 
ness the  more  intense.  Death  would  then  be 
a  fearful  leap  into  the  dark.  But,  thank 
Heaven !  such  is  not  the  condition  of  the 
Christian ;  he  is  not  left  to  grope  his  way  in 
darkness ;  his  acceptance  with  his  God  is  not 
involved  in  doubt  or  uncertainty,  nor  is  the 
fact  concealed  from  his  mind.  It  is  his  priv- 


72        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ilege  to  know  that  his  sins  are  pardoned,  and 
that  God  owns  him  for  his  child.  This  matter 
is  not  left  to  mere  inference ;  nor  is  he  reduced 
to  the  painful  necessity  of  arriving  at  the  fact 
by  the  laborious  task  of  induction,  but  God 
himself  writes  a  knowledge  of  the  fact  upon 
the  heart.  "The  Spirit  itself,"  says  the  text, 
•'beareth  witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are 
the  children  of  God."  The  pardon  of  our  sins, 
our  personal  acceptance  with  God  and  adop- 
tion into  his  family,  are  matters  which  take 
place  in  heaven,  with  God  alone,  and  conse- 
quently it  is  impossible  in  the  very  nature  of 
things  that  we  should  ever  know  them  unless 
they  are  revealed  by  God  himself.  We  might 
have  some  knowledge  that  our  hearts  were 
renewed  by  grace,  that  our  burden  was  re- 
moved, that  our  sense  of  guilt  was  gone ;  but 
that  our  sins  were  pardoned,  and  God  recon- 
ciled, are  facts  which  we  could  not  know  unless 
by  the  teachings  of  the  Divine  Spirit. 

That  the  Spirit  mentioned  in  the  text  is  the 
Spirit  of  God,  or  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  evident 
from  the  context.  In  the  commencement  of 
the  chapter  the  apostle  speaks  of  the  happy 
state  of  the  Christian.  "There  is  therefore 
now  no  condemnation  to  them  which  are  in 
Christ  Jesus,  which  walk  not  after  the  flesh, 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  73 

but  after  the  Spirit."  Again,  "But  ye  are  not 
in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit,  if  so  be  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you.  Now  if  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of 
his."  And  again,  "But  if  the  Spirit  of  him 
that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead  dwell  in 
you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ  from  the  dead 
shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bodies  by  his 
Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you."  In  direct  con- 
nection with  the  text  the  apostle  observes : 
"  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God, 
they  are  the  sons  of  God.  For  ye  have  not 
received  the  spirit  of  bondage  again  to  fear; 
but  ye  have  received  the  Spirit  of  adoption, 
whereby  we  cry,  Abba,  Father.  The  Spirit 
itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that  we 
are  the  children  of  God."  The  relation,  there- 
fore, which  the  text  sustains  to  the  preceding 
verses  shows  conclusively  that  the  witness 
mentioned  in  the  text  is  the  Spirit  of  God. 
The  agent  by  whom  our  hearts  are  renewed, 
our  natures  regenerated,  is  the  very  same 
Spirit  by  whom  we  are  adopted  into  the  family 
of  God.  No  sooner  is  the  sinner's  pardon 
sealed  in  the  court  of  heaven  than  a  knowl- 
edge of  it  is  written  upon  the  heart ;  no  sooner 
is  he  adopted  into  the  family  of  God  than  the 
Divine  Spirit  is  sent  forth  to  witness  the  fact 

7 


74        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

to  his  spirit.  In  most  instances  this  witness  is 
given  immediately  after  justification,  but  in 
some  cases  it  may  be  delayed  a  short  time  ; 
the  new  convert  may  not  receive  the  full  wit- 
ness after  regeneration  sometimes  for  hours  or 
even  days,  and  in  some  rare  instances  it  may 
be  weeks  before  the  evidence  is  so  clear  as  to 
exclude  all  doubt.  But  still  this  witness  is  the 
privilege  of  every  regenerated  soul,  and,  in 
general,  it  immediately  accompanies  the  par- 
don of  sin. 

This  doctrine  does  not  for  its  support  rely 
merely  upon  the  text,  or  even  a  few  isolated 
passages  of  doubtful  meaning,  but  upon  the 
testimony  of  almost  all  of  the  inspired  writers. 
When  writing  to  the  Corinthians  the  apostle 
says,  "Now  we  have  received  not  the  spirit  of 
the  world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is  of  God,  that 
we  might  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given 
to  us  of  God."  Here  we  not  only  have  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit  asserted,  but  the  object 
of  the  witness,  "  that  we  might  know  the  things 
that  are  freely  given  to  us  of  God."  "That 
he  might  take  of  the  things  of  God  and  show 
them  unto  us,"  that  he  might  thus  in  mercy 
commit  to  the  mind  of  his  children  what  God 
had  done  for  them.  When  writing  to  the 
Ephesians  he  observes,  "After  that  ye  believed 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  75 

ye  were  sealed  with  that  Holy  Spirit  of  prom- 
ise which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance 
until  the  redemption  of  the  purchased  posses- 
sion, unto  the  praise  of  his  glory."  This  wit- 
ness is  here  represented  as  given  us  as  the 
pledge  of  our  inheritance.  This  we  have  as 
an  assurance  of  our  inheritance  in  the  day 
oJ^  redemption.  The  man,  therefore,  that  has 
this  witness  in  himself  is  fully  assured  of  his 
heirship.  When  writing  to  the  Galatians  the 
apostle  says,  "  Because  ye  are  sons  of  God, 
God  hath  sent  his  spirit  into  your  hearts, 
crying,  Abba,  Father."  Here  the  apostle 
grounds  this  testimony  upon  the  relationship 
that  we  sustain  to  God.  "Because  ye  are 
sons."  Here  he  clearly  intimates  that  all  who 
are  sons  had  this  witness ;  and  of  course  those 
who  had  it  not  are  not  the  children  of  God. 
St.  John  says,  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son 
of  God  hath  the  witness  in  himself."  And 
again,  "And  hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth 
in  us  by  his  Spirit  which  he  hath  given  us." 
St.  Paul,  when  writing  to  his  brethren,  says, 
"Know  ye  not  yourselves  how  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  in  you,  except  you  be  reprobate?" 
From  the  passages  already  quoted  the  con- 
clusion seems  inevitable  that  those  who  have 
not  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  have  serious 


76       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

reasons  to  fear  that  they  are  not  the  children 
of  God.  This  conclusion  is  expressly  war- 
ranted by  the  apostle  in  his  letter  to  the 
Romans,  when  he  says,  "If  any  man  have  not 
the  spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none  of  his."  It  is 
true,  some  Christians  may  not  have  that  clear, 
satisfactory  evidence  of  their  acceptance  or 
witness  within  them  that  they  desire,  or  that 
others  have ;  but  still  it  is  their  privilege,  and 
the  probability  is  that  did  they  live  nearer  to 
God,  and  possess  more  of  the  spirituality  of 
religion,  that  this  testimony  would  be  clearer. 
Such  persons,  however,  should  not  cast  away 
their  confidence,  which  has  great  recompense 
of  reward. 

But  it  may  be  asked,  What  is  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit  ?  how  is  this  testimony  borne  ?  or 
how  does  the  Spirit  bear  witness  with  our- 
selves ?  Some  suppose  that  all  we  are  to  un- 
derstand by  the  witness,  of  the  Spirit  is  an 
inward  consciousness  of  a  change  of  heart ; 
but  this  is  evidently  the  testimony  of  our  spir- 
its. The  text  contains  two  witnesses  to  the 
same  fact — the  Spirit  of  God,  and  our  own 
spirit.  These  afford  a  joint  testimony.  The 
witnesses  should  not  be  confounded,  nor  should 
their  testimony.  The  testimony  of  each  is  sep- 
arate and  distinct,  though  the  subject  of  testi- 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  77 

mony  is  the  same.  They  both  testify  to  the 
same  thing.  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness 
with  our  spirits — in  connection  with  our  own. 
A  consciousness,  therefore,  that  our  hearts 
have  been  changed  is  the  testimony  of  our 
spirit.  The  question  consequently  returns, 
What  is  the  testimony  of  the  Divine  Spirit  ? 
Some  suppose  that  it  implies  nothing  more 
than  the  implantation  of  holy  tempers  and  dis- 
positions within  us — such  as  meekness,  humil- 
ity, faith,  temperance,  etc.  But  this  I  conceive 
to  be  confounding  the  witness  of  the  Spirit 
with  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  which  are  things 
very  different.  The  apostle,  when  writing  to 
the  Galatians,  mentions  these  graces  and 
moral  excellences,  and  pronounces  them  the 
"fruits  of  the  Spirit."  "The  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  are  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering, 
gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temper- 
ance; against  such  there  is  no  law."  These 
he  considers  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  course 
we  must  receive  the  Spirit  before  he  can  pro- 
duce. Many  of  these  spring  directly  from  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit  itself — such  as  joy,  love, 
peace ;  of  course  they  suppose  the  pre-exist- 
ence  of  the  witness. 

It  is  plain  from  the  text  and  other  corrob- 
orating Scriptures  that  the  witness  of  the  Spirit 


78        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

is  direct ;  that  it  is  some  direct  communication 
from  the  Divine  Spirit  to  our  minds.  But  how 
this  testimony  is  given,  or  the  precise  manner 
in  which  the  Spirit  does  bear  witness  with 
ours,  it  may  be  difficult  to  explain.  This  is 
not  a  matter  of  revelation.  The  fact  that  it  is 
so  is  clearly  revealed,  but  the  precise  manner 
is  not.  But  should  the  latter  remain  forever 
inexplicable  it  can  not  affect  the  question  of 
fact ;  it  can  not  invalidate  the  testimony  of  rev- 
elation on  this  subject.  It  is  often  difficult  to 
find  language  to  explain  the  deep  things  of 
God ;  such  is  particularly  the  question  under 
consideration.  But  although  we  may  not  be 
able  to  illustrate  fully  and  precisely  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Spirit  bears  witness  with 
ours,  yet  I  apprehend  we  are  warranted  in 
saying  that  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  is  a  sen- 
sible impression  made  upon  the  mind,  produc- 
ing involuntarily,  on  our  part,  a  clear  and  entire 
conviction  of  the  fact  that  our  sins  are  par- 
doned and  we  are  born  of  God, — such  a  con- 
viction as  precludes  all  doubt,  banishes  every 
fear,  and  affords  a  peace  to  the  soul  which 
"passeth  understanding"  and  enables  the  pos- 
sessor almost  involuntarily  to  say,  "Abba,  Fa- 
ther." He  claims  with  the  utmost  confidence 
and  assurance  God  as  his  Father.  He  now 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  79 

adopts  a  language  which  he  was  afraid  to  em- 
ploy in  this  sense  before.  He  can  now  exclaim, 
in  the  language  of  Inspiration,  "  I  know  that 
I  have  passed  from  death  unto  life."  And 
again,  "We  know  that  if  our  earthly  house  of 
this  tabernacle  were  dissolved  we  have  a  build- 
ing not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens."  This  is  the  language  of  the  man 
who  has  the  witness  in  himself.  It  is  not  with 
him  a  mere  hope,  it  is  a  matter  of  certain 
knowledge ;  doubt  is  precluded,  and  a  full 
assurance  succeeds.  The  Spirit  itself  beareth 
witness  with  our  spirits  that  we  are  the  chil- 
dren of-  God.  Thus  we  learn  that  the  Chris- 
tian, not  only  has  the  testimony  of  God's  Spirit 
to  his  adoption,  but  this  testimony  is  corrobo- 
rated by  that  of  our  own  spirits. 

But  we  may  inquire  in  the  next  place,  What 
is  the  testimony  of  our  spirits?  The  answer 
to  this  question  we  have  already  anticipated  in 
our  preceding  remarks.  We  have  said  that  it 
implies  a  consciousness  of  a  change  of  heart, 
of  a  divine  renovation  of  our  natures.  It  is 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  such-  a  radical 
change  of  heart  as  that  implied  in  regenera- 
tion should  be  a  matter  of  certain  knowledge 
to  those  who  experience  it ;  that  the  man  who 
is  translated  from  a  s,tate  of  rnoral  darkness 


So       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

into  the  light  and  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God,  from  the  power  of  Satan  into  the  king- 
dom of  the  Son  of  God — his  load  "of  guilt  and 
condemnation  removed,  his  heart  renovated, 
and  his  affections,  desires,  and  tempers  all  re- 
newed by  grace,  and  now  become  spiritual  and 
heavenly  in  their  character- — should  be  con- 
scious of  it.  It  is  almost,  if  not  altogether, 
impossible  that  any  rational  being  should  ex- 
perience such  a  change  in  his  nature  without 
knowing  it. 

To  render  this  the  more  apparent,  let  us 
notice  briefly  the  condition  of  the  penitent 
sinner  under  the  awakening  influences  of  the 
Spirit  of  God,  contrasted  with  the  happy  state 
of  the  regenerated  soul  happy  in  the  love  of 
God,  as  delivered  by  the  sacred  writer.  The 
Psalmist,  in  speaking  .of  himself  as  having 
been  in  a  horrible  pit,  in  mire  and  clay,  in  the 
most  deplorable  and  ruinous  condition,  where 
help  could  not  be  obtained,  and  where  death 
seemed  inevitable,  said,  "He  has  taken  my 
feet  from  the  miry  clay,  and  has  set  me  on  the 
Rock  of  Ages,  and  he  hath  put  a  new  song  in 
my  mouth." 

The  doctrine  contained  in  the  portion  of  the 
sermon  above  inserted  was  very  consoling  to 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  81 

the  people  of  God.  The  Church  grew  strong 
under  such  preaching. 

During  his  pastorate  on  this  charge  he  was 
called  upon  to  attend  the  funeral  of  William 
Harrison  Holt,  who  was  drowned  in  the  Illi- 
nois River.  He  took  for  his  text  the  thir- 
teenth and  fourteenth  verses  of  the  fourth 
chapter  of  First  Thessalonians  :  "But  I  would 
not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren,  con- 
cerning them  which  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow 
not,  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope.  For 
if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again, 
even  so  also  them  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will 
God  bring  with  him."  The  occasion  was  one 
of  great  interest.  He  spoke,  first,  of  the  ob- 
ject of  the  hope  as  represented  in  the  text — 
namely,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead  ;  second, 
who  those  are  that  sleep  in  Jesus?  and,  third, 
of  the  injunction  of  the  text.  He  showed  from 
many  passages  *  that  there  will  be  a  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead.  On  his  third  proposition  he 
held  out  with  glowing  eloquence  the  hope  of 
the  Gospel. 

During  this  year  there  was  a  camp-meet- 
at  Cedar  Point.  In  the  absence  of  the 


*Job  xix,  25,  26,  27;  Dnniel  xii,  2;  John  v,  28,  29;  Acts 
xxiv,  15;  Revelation  xx,  12,  13,  and  the  fifteenth  chapter  of 
First  Corinthians. 


82        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

presiding  elder,  Mr.  Phelps  had  charge  of  the 
meeting.  He  preached  a  convincing  sermon 
on  the  mode  of  baptism ;  and  some,  who  had 
been  in  trouble  on  the  subject  for  years,*  were 
baptized  by  affusion. f  The  meeting  was  a 
great  success. 

Mr.  Phelps  sold  many  books,  and  secured 
numerous  subscribers  for  the  Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate.  The  circuit  was  large,  and  he 
halted  neither  for  bad  weather  nor  high  water. 
The  people  were  much  gratified  at  his  return 
to  the  charge,  and  regretted  the  necessity  for 
his  removal  at  the  close  of  the  year. 

The  Conference  convened  at  Jacksonville. 
Twenty-eight  were  received  on  trial.  Milton 
Bourn  and  Thomas  J.  Kirkpatrick  were  of  the 
number.  The  Church  lost  an  able  minister  by 
expulsion.  Let  us  not  mention  his  name.  He 
"sinned,"  perhaps,  but  was  more  "sinned 
against."  The  increase  in  membership  was 
three  thousand  three  hundred  and  sixteen. 

Mr.  Phelps  went  to  Peoria  Mission.  He 
had  but  twenty-six  members.  There  was  not 
church.  He  preached  in  the  Court-house. 
This  was  used  by  other  denominations  like- 


*  A.  K.  Tullis  was  presented  for  baptism  at  that  lime,  now 
of  Central  Illinois  Conference. 

fD.  Markley's  letter  to  the  writer. 


His  LABORS  ON  PEKIN  CIRCUIT.  83 

wise.  There  was  much  unbelief  in  that  region, 
and  a  Rev.  Mr.  Huntoon,  from  the  East,  a 
Unitarian,  became  very  popular  in  Peoria.  He 
made  bold  to  assault  the  orthodox  Churches, 
and  drew  immense  crowds  to  hear  him.  Mr. 
Phelps  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  reply  to  these 
sermons,  which  he  did  with  very  marked  abil- 
ity and  much  effect.  Mr.  Huntoon  replied, 
and  Mr.  Phelps  responded.  This  warfare  was 
kept  up  until  Mr.  Huntoon  was  completely  van- 
quished, and  left  the  field.  This  was  probably 
Mr.  Phelps's  first  theological  encounter  of  im- 
portance. His  success  in  this  case  called  the 
attention  of  the  Church  to  his  remarkable  en- 
dowments and  adaptation  to  the  then  important 
work  of  defending  the  Church  against  such 
assailants  as  the  above  mentioned.  Great 
good  grew  out  of  this  thorough  presentation 
of  the  orthodox  doctrines,  supported  by  the 
Scriptures.  The  people  flocked  to  hear  the 
true  Gospel  preachers.  His  congregations 
were  quite  large.  He  frequently  lectured  on 
week  nights.  At  the  close  of  this  year  he  re- 
ported an  increase  of  thirteen  members. 

Conference  met  at  Alton.  Bishop  Soule  did 
not  reach  the  Conference,  on  account  of  the 
high  waters,  until  the  fourth  day,  and  Peter 


84        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Cartwright  was  elected  President.*  Nathan 
Jewett,  Joseph  Kirkpatrick,  and  twenty  others 
were  received  on  trial.  Michael  S.  Taylor  had 
died,  July  2Oth.  He  was  presiding  elder  on 
the  Quincy  District  at  time  of  his  decease.  In 
all  the  relations  of  life  he  was  irreproachable. f 
The  membership  now  had  reached  23,974; 
the  increase  for  the  year  was  2,973.  Twelve 
districts  were  manned  as  follows :  Danville, 
Hooper  Crews,  P.  E. ;  Mount  Vernon,  A.  E. 
Phelps,  P.  E. ;  Lebanon,  John  Dew,  P.  E. ; 
Alton,  Charles  Holliday,  P.  E. ;  Sangamon, 
Peter  Cartwright,  P.  E. ;  Chicago,  John  Clark, 
P.  E. ;  Milwaukee,  Salmon  Stebbins,  P.  E. ; 
Galena,  Bartholomew  Weed,  P.  E. ;  Indian 
Mission  District,  Alfred  Brunson,  P.  E. ;  Rock 
Island,  Henry  Summers,  P.  E.;  Peoria,  S.  W.  D. 
Chase,  P.  E. ;  Quincy,  Peter  Akers,  P.  E. 


*  Cai  twright's  Autobiography.  f  Minutes. 


CHAPTER  FOURTH. 

PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP— MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT. 

The  Riot  in  AHon — The  Excited  State  of  the  Public 
Mind — Bishop  Soule — Presiding  Eldership — Importance  of  the 
Office — Ella's  Sickness — Their  Removal  to  Mount  Vernon  Dis- 
trict— Resided  with  the  Pastor,  Rev.  John  Shepard — List  of 
His  Preachers  —  His  Preaching  —  Sermon  on  Salvation  by 
Faith — Sermon  on  the  Plan  of  Salvation. 

ALTON  had  lately  been  fearfully  aroused 
by  the  riotous  proceedings  which  culmi- 
nated in  the  death  of  Rev.  E.  P.  Lovejoy. 
This  tragic  event  agitated  the  whole  country, 
and  created  sympathy  for  the  cause  of  free- 
dom in  many  hearts.  Some  of  the  most  prom- 
inent, members  of  the  Illinois  Conference  were 
conservative,-  as  was  also  the  presiding  bishop, 
Soule.  Of  course,  all  passed  off  quietly.  Pre- 
siding elders  were  then  chosen  by  the  bishop's 
cabinet,  and  the  very  best  material  was  used. 
Young  men  were  often  appointed  to  that 
office.  Edward  R.  Ames  was  promoted  to 
that  position  after  serving  in  the  pastorate 
nine  years.  Henry  Summers  was  one  of  the 
"chosen"  in  four  years  after  his  admission  on 
trial.  Richard  Haney  in  nine  ;  A.  E.  Phelps 

85 


86       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ten.  Great  exposure,  long  rides,  protracted 
absence  from  home,  and  small  compensation, 
were  the  inheritance  of  presiding  elders  in 
that  day,  and  only  "picked  men"  could  meet 
the  demands  of  the  times.  A.  E.  Phelps 
was  now  one  of  this  noble  band.  Conference 
adjourned  and  he  hastened  to  his  home  in 
Peoria. 

While  at  conference  little  Ella  was  taken 
seriously  sick,  and  was  quite  feeble  when  he 
returned  home.  They  placed  her  on  a  pillow 
and  started  to  the  Mount  Vernon  District. 
Proceeding  but  a  few  hours  each  day  they 
continued  their  journey.  Ella  improved  rap- 
idly, and  in  about  ten  days  they  reached 
Mount  Vernon.  They  moved  into  the  same 
house  in  which  the  pastor,  John  Shepard, 
resided:  It  was  commodious,  and  afforded 
abundance  of  room  for  both  families.  '  Pre- 
siding Elder  Phelps  had  as  co-workers  on 
Mount  Vernon  District,  John  Shepard,  James 
H.  Dickens,  George  C.  Kimber,  John  W. 
M'Murty,  Joshua  Barnes,  James  Hadlee,  James 
I.  Richardson,  Isaac  G.  Barr,  John  Fox,  and 
preached  at  Mount  Vernon,  Nashville,  Chester 
Mission,  Jonesboro,  Golconda,  Shawneetown, 
Frankfort,  Salem,  and  Maysville.  He  spent 
the  most  of  his  time  away  from  home.  He 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  87 

wrote  many  sermons,  but  preached  purely 
extempore.  He  preached  a  sermon  on  "Sal- 
vation by  Faith,"  that  awakened  much  inter- 
est. The  reader  may  be  curious  to  peruse 
this  sermon,  not  as  he  preached  it,  but  as  he 
prepared  it. 

SALVATION  BY  FAITH. 

^  By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith,  and  that  not 
of  yourselves,  it  is  the  gift  of  God." — EPH.  ii,  8. 

As  the  sense  of  the  text  seems  to  be  com- 
plete of  itself,  I  deem  any  formal  introduction 
to  the  subject  needless.  The  text  contains 
three  distinct  propositions:  I.  That  salvation 
is  by  grace,  "  By  grace  are  ye  saved."  II. 
It  is  on  the  condition  of  faith,  "Through 
faith."  III.  That  faith  is  not  of  ourselves,  it 
is  the  gift  of  God.  Each  of  these  we  shall 
notice  in  the  order  in  which  they  stand  in 
the  text. 

First.  "By  grace  are  ye  saved."  Grace 
is  generally  defined  to  imply  favor,  free,  unmer- 
ited favor;  favor  bestowed  without  claiming 
any  equivalent  from  the  recipient.  That  our 
salvation  is  by  grace  in  this  sense ;  that  it  was 
by  the  free,  unmerited  favor  of  God,  by  his  infi- 
nite mercy  and  benevolence  that  man  is  saved, 
I  presume  but  few  will  dispute.  In  the  first 
place,  man's  redemption  from  under  the  curse 


88       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

of  the  law  afforded  a  most  striking  exhibition 
of  God's  unbounded  mercy,  an  illustrious  dis- 
play of  divine  grace.  Man  had  thrown  off  his 
allegiance  to  his  sovereign,  violated  the  divine 
law,  and  set  at  defiance  the  omnipotence  of 
Jehovah.  In  this  condition  man  had  rendered 
himself  a  proper  subject  for  heaven's  dis- 
pleasure, and  a  fit  subject  for  eternal  burnings. 
He  fully  deserved  the  sentence  of  the  law  he 
had  violated.  His  sin  was  of  a  highly  aggra- 
vated character.  In  this  condition  so  far  was 
God  from  being  under  an  obligation  to  redeem 
him,  that  his  truth,  justice,  holiness  seemed 
to  require  the  immediate  execution  of  the  sen- 
tence against  him,  which  would  have  effected 
his  eternal  banishment  from  the  divine  pres- 
ence. Nor  could  the  perfections  of  Jehovah 
ever  have  been  reconciled,  it  seems,  with  man's 
salvation,  but  through  a  mediator ;  by  the  suf- 
ferings and  the  death  of  his  son.  But  while 
man  was  exposed  to  inevitable  ruin,  while  the 
sword  of  justice  was  unsheathed,  the  uplifted 
thunders  were  ready  to  be  let  loose  upon  him 
and  engulf  him  in  endless  misery,  and  law  was 
pouring  its  dreadful  curses  on  his  head,  the 
Son  of  God  assumes  human  nature,  steps  in 
between  man  and  offended  justice,  meets  the 
uplifted  thunders,  sheathes  the  sword  of  verige- 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  89 

ance  in  his  own  blood,  and  emancipates  the 
human  race.  Oh,  what  a  striking  display  of 
God's  infinite  mercy  and  grace  does  the  death 
of  Christ  afford.  Well  may  the  poet  sing, — 

"Oil  for  this  love  let  rocks  aud  hills, 

Their  lasting  silence  break, 
And  all  harmonious  human  tongues 
The  Savior's  praises  speak." 

On  this  ground  "  God  can  be  just  and  the 
justifier  of  him  that  believeth  in  Jesus."  Here 
mercy  and  truth  meet  together,  righteousness 
and  peace  have  kissed  each  other.  Here  all 
the  perfections  of  God  fully  harmonize  with 
man's  salvation.  That  this  work  was  of  grace 
none,  will  be  so  daring  and  reckless  as  to  dis- 
pute. If  the  great  atonement  was  a  work  of 
grace,  of  course  all  the  blessings  it  secured  to 
the  faithful  are  equally  of  grace ;  the  conse- 
quences flowing  from  it  are  of  grace.  If  the 
greater  blessings  were  of  grace,  the  lesser 
ones  included  in  it  are  of  grace,  of  course. 
Therefore  our  present  salvation  from  sin  and 
eternal  salvation  from  "wrath  to  come,"  are 
of  grace.  At  present  we  shall  confine  our- 
selves to  the  former — to  present  salvation  from 
sin.  It  is  this  evidently  to  which  our  text  has 
special  and  direct  reference.  The  apostle  does 
not  say  that  you  have  been  redeemed  by 
grace.  When  speaking  of  the  atonement  or 


90       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  redeeming  of  man  from  under  the  curse 
of  the  law,  the  Inspired  Writer  never  uses  the 
language  employed  in  the  text.  The  language 
is  then,  "Ye  are  bought  with  a  price."  "For- 
asmuch as  ye  know  that  ye  were  not  redeemed 
with  corruptible  things  as  silver  and  gold," 
"but  with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ." 
Second.  The  salvation  mentioned  in  the  text  is 
attainable  alone  through  faith.  "By  grace  are 
ye  saved,  through  faith."  But  our  redemption 
from  under  the  penalty  of  the  Adamic  law 
does  not  depend  upon  our  faith  or  conditions 
of  any  kind  on  our  part.  In  this  all  men 
are  embraced,  whether  they  have  faith  or 
not.  Nor  could  it  be  eternal  salvation  to 
which  the  apostle  alludes  in  this  text,  for  this 
very  obvious  reason :  The  salvation  that  is 
here  mentioned  his  brethren  had  already  ex- 
perienced. The  address  is  in  the  present 
tense,  "  By  grace  are  ye  saved."  They  were 
already  saved.  From  these  considerations  it 
is  evident  that  the  salvation  mentioned  here  is 
present  salvation  from  sin ;  the  entire  work 
of  sanctification  of  our  natures  from  first  to 
last,  from  the  first  awakening  of  the  sinner 
until  the  subject  is  cleansed  from  all  sin  by  the 
blood  of  Christ.  But  as  this  is  an  age  pro- 
verbial for  improvement,  for  discoveries,  the 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  -  91 

advance  of  science,  and  march  of  mind,  some 
adventurous  master  spirits,  as  perhaps  they 
would  wish  to  be  styled,  have  ascertained  that 
God  has  nothing  to  do  in  awakening  the 
sinner.  A  Mr.  A.  Campbell,  whose  reputation 
has  gone  abroad  as  a  man  of  talent  and  exten- 
sive research,  denies  the  doctrine  of  a  divine 
influence  upon  the  sinner's  heart,  or,  in  other 
words,  he  affirms  that  the  Spirit  of  God  never 
strives  with  the  impenitent  sinner.  I  think 
his  own  words  are,  "  In  the  absence  of  a  single 

o 

passage  of  Scripture  on  the  subject,  I  deny 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  ever  does  operate  upon 
the  sinner's  heart  until  after  baptism."  He 
contends  that  baptism  is  regeneration  itself. 
He  admits  that  after  men  have  repented  and 
been  baptized,  which  he  is  sometimes  pleased 
to  call  the  new  birth  or  being  born  again,  they 
receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  not  until  then. 
That  the  Holy  Spirit  is  given  as  a  comforter 
only  to  the  regenerate  or  to  the  children  of 
God,  I  admit.  To  such  only  is  he  given  as  a 
witness,  to  testify  to  their  adoption  and  shed 
upon  them  divine  consolation  and  spiritual 
enjoyment ;  but  to  affirm  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  has  nothing  to  do  in  awakening  the  con- 
science of  the  sinner,  in  convicting  him  of  sin, 
and  in  arousing  him  to  a  sense  of  his  guilt, 


92        TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

and  his  lost  condition  is  most  evidently  con- 
tradicted by  the  Scriptures  throughout ;  and 
is  opposed  to  the  analogy  of  the  Christian 
faith,  as  I  shall  at  a  proper  time  show.  A 
twin  sister  to  this  doctrine,  which  we  now 
oppose,  is  that  which  asserts  man's  natural 
ability  to  convert  himself.  This  doctrine,  which 
claims  to  be  Calvinism  remodeled  or  newly 
modified,  is  in  truth  the  offspring  of  Pela- 
gianism.  It  excludes  divine  agency  altogether, 
or  at  least  in  the  awakening  and  conversion 
of  the  sinner,  and  arrays  his  natural  abilities, 
with  energy  and  moral  power,  as  sufficient  for 
self-conversion.  This  doctrine,  if  we  mistake 
not,  admits  a  divine  agency  in  the  conversion 
of  the  sinner  so  far  as  the  will  is  concerned, 
and  no  further.  It  admits  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  may  influence  the  will,  gives  the  sinner 
the  disposition  to  submit  to  God,  but  regen- 
eration or  conversion  is  the  sinner's  own  work. 
This  theory,  though  it  may  be  advocated  by 
men  who  lay  high  claims  to  literary  attain- 
ments, to  -intellectual  acumen,  and  Biblical 
knowledge,  is  most  evidently  unscriptural  and 
unphilosophical.  Both  this  theory  and  that  of 
Mr.  Campbell,  above  noticed,  are  based  upon 
a  mistaken  view  of  human  nature — of  the 
moral  condition  of  mankind.  They  both  indi- 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  93 

rectly  deny  the  depravity  of  human  nature,  the 
moral  defection  of  the  human  heart.  For  if 
it  be  admitted  that  "every  imagination  of 
the  thoughts  of  the  heart  is  only  evil  contin- 
ually," that  "from  the  sole  of  the  foot  even 
to  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in  it,  but 
wounds  and  bruises  and  putrefying  sores, 
which  have  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up, 
neither  mollified  with  ointment,"  as  represented 
in  the  strong  language  of  the  prophet — if  we 
admit  that  the  apostle  drew  a  true  picture  of 
human  nature  in  the  seventh  chapter  to  the 
Romans,  where  he  says,  "  For  I  am  carnal, 
sold  under  sin;"  "When  I  would  do  good 
evil  is  present  with  me;"  "I  find  there  a 
law  in  my  members  warring  against  the  law 
of  my  mind,  and  bringing  me  into  captivity 
to  the  law  of  sin,  which  is  in  my  mem- 
bers"-—it  follows  that  the  theories  under  con- 
sideration are  as  unphilosophical  as  unscript- 
ural.  If  we  admit,  as  the  Scriptures  clearly 
represent,  that  by  nature  man  is  under  the 
dominion  of  sin,  under  the  control  and  influ- 
ence of  moral  depravity,  it  is  difficult  to  con- 
ceive how  man,  by  his  own  efforts,  can  rise 
superior  to  that  influence,  repent  of  his  sins, 
reform  his  life,  change  his  own  heart,  and 
conform  to  the  requirements  of  the  Gospel. 


94  •    TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Nothing  can  be  more  paradoxical ;  nothing 
more  absurd.  Therefore,  these  are  directly 
incompatible  with  the  moral  depravity  of  hu- 
man nature.  They  can  never  be  reconciled  by 
any  mode  of  reasoning,  by  any  method  of 
explanation  whatever.  If  human  nature  be  de- 
praved the  doctrine  of  self-conversion  must  be 
untrue.  Mr.  Campbell  denies  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  ever  operates  upon  the  sinner's  heart. 
If  this  be  the  case,  and  human  nature  be  as 
much  under  the  influence  of  moral  depravity 
as  the  Scriptures  represent,  the  salvation  of 
the  sinner  will  be  impossible,  and  his  damnation 
inevitable  in  the  very  nature  of  things.  In 
that  case,  though  I  speak  it  with  reverence, 
God  himself  would  be  to  blame  for  the  sinner's 
damnation  in  withholding  from  him  that  assist- 
ance which  was  absolutely  essential  to  his  sal- 
vation ;  for  having  brought  him  into  existence 
under  circumstances  which  rendered  it  impos- 
sible for  him  to  repent  and  obey  the  Gospel 
withqut  divine  aid,  and  then  denying  him  that 
aid.  This  system  not  only  indirectly  charges 
God  with  the  impenitence  of  the  sinner  ;  but, 
if  true',  would  render  the  salvation  of  any  indi- 
vidual impossible,  and  the  damnation  of  all 
absolutely  certain.  It  is  hard  to  conceive  how 
a  dead  man  can  raise  himself  to  life.  Nothing 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  95 

can  be  more  absurd  than  such  a  supposition. 
It  would  suppose  a  man  to  act  without  an  ex- 
istence, to  exert  powers  he  did  not  possess. 
It  is  no  less  absurd  to  talk  about  a  sinner,  who 
is  represented  in  Scripture  as  in  a  state  of 
moral  4eatn,  dead  in  trespasses  and  in  sins, 
introducing  himself  into  a  state  of  spiritual 
life.  The  Scriptures  frequently  represent  the 
impenitent  sinner  as  spiritually  dead.  "  And 
you  hath  he  quickened,  who  were  dead  in 
trespasses  and  sins."  "But  God,  who  is  rich 
in  mercy,  for  his  great  love  wherewith  he  loved 
us  even  when  we  were  dead  in  sins,  hath 
quickened  us  together  with  Christ," — is  the 
language  of  the  Scriptures  on  the  subject. 
And  therefore,  if  this  be  his  condition,  he  must 
necessarily  remain  in  a  state  of  moral  death, 
under  the  dominion  of  sin  and  moral  depravity, 
unless  aroused  or  quickened  by  some  foreign 
influence,  by  some  moral  energy  or  power  in- 
dependent of  his  own.  And  consequently,  if 
divine  influence  be  withheld,  the  sinner's  dam- 
nation is  inevitable,  and  heaven  is  placed  for- 
ever beyond  his  reach.  .This  conclusion  is 
inevitable.  Nor  will  it  avail  any  thing  to  say 
that  divine  influence  may  be  exerted  upon  the 
will.  It  is  not  merely  necessary  that  the  will 
be  quickened ;  but  it  is  equally  necessary  that 


g6       TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  moral  powers,  that  the  whole  moral  nature 
of  man,  be  quickened. 

But  we  not  only  arrive  at  the  conclusion 
that  man  of  himself  can  do  nothing  in  the 
work  of  his  salvation,  but  the  Scriptures  di- 
rectly warrant  the  conclusion.  At  present 
we  shall  only  quote  a  few  passages  on  this 
subject.  "Without  me,"  says  Christ,  ''ye 
can  do  nothing."  This,  it  is  true,-  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  disciple  who  had  experienced  a 
change  of  heart,  but  this  does  not  weaken  its 
force  when  applied  to  the  sinner ;  for,  if  Chris- 
tians can  do  nothing  without  Christ,  can  we 
expect  that  the  unregenerate  can  do  any  thing 
acceptable  to  God  without  divine  aid?  Again, 
says  Christ,  "No  man  can  come  unto  me  ex- 
cept the  Father  which  hath  sent  me  draw 
him."  The  apostle  says,  "The  will  is  present 
with  me,  but  how  to  perform  that  which  is 
good  I  find  not."  Again,  in  his  epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  he  says,  "Not  that  we  are  suffi- 
cient of  ourselves  to  think  any  thing  as  of 
ourselves,  but  our  sufficiency  is  of  God." 
Here  the  apostle,  though  renewed  by  grace 
and  brought  into  the  liberty  of  the  children  of 
God,  intimates  that  he  was  not  able  by  his 
own  strength  to  originate  a  good  thought,  but 
acknowledged  himself  indebted  to  divine  grace 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  97 

even  for  this  power.  Without  multiplying 
quotations  farther,  from  the  passages  already 
adduced  it  is  clear  that  without  divine  assist- 
ance no  man  can  repent  and  obey  the  Gospel, 
much  less  regenerate  his  own  nature. 

But  we  will  now  proceed  to  a  more  direct 
examination  of  Scripture  in  proof  of  the  doc- 
trine of  divine  influence,  or  of  the  operations 
of  the  Spirit  upon  the  sinner's  heart.  It  has 
been  affirmed  by  the  author  above  mentioned 
that  the  Scriptures  afford  no  proof  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  ever  operates  upon  the  heart  of 
any  man  until  he  has  repented  and  been  bap- 
tized. Let  the  Word  of  God  decide  this  ques- 
tion. Even  before  the  Flood  it  was  said  by 
God  himself,  "My  Spirit  shall  not  always  strive 
with  man."  Here  the  word  "man"  is  evi- 
dently used  in  its  most  enlarged  or  general 
acceptation  to  include  the  whole  human  family. 
Therefore,  this  passage  must  obviously  pre- 
suppose that  previous  to  that  time  the  Spirit 
of  God  had  striven  with  all  men ;  but  now  the 
mass  had  become  so  incorrigibly  wicked,  and 
their  depravity  and  corruption  had  become  so 
incurable,  that  he  intended  to  withdraw  the  in- 
fluence of  his  Spirit  from  them,  and  consign 
them  to  destruction.  And  if  this  passage 
stood  alone  on  this  subject  it  would  be  suffi- 

9 


98        TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

cient  to  sustain  the  cloctriae  that  it  has  at 
least  once  been  the  economy  of  God  to  strive 
by  his  Spirit  with  impenitent  sinners,  and  such 
too  as  finally  rejected  the  counsel  of  God 
against  themselves.  When  Stephen,  the  first 
martyr,  was  put  upon  his  trial  for  his  life,  he 
addressed  the  Jewish  Sanhedrim  in  the  fol- 
lowing language:  "Ye  stiff-necked  and  uncir- 
cumcised  in  heart  and  ears,  ye  do  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost.  As  your  fathers  did, 
so  do  you."  Here  St.  Stephen  addressed 
those  very  individuals  who  had  imbued  their 
hands  in  his  blood  and  wreaked  their  ven- 
geance on  the  head  of  the  blessed  Savior,  and 
were  now  endeavoring  to  banish  the  Gospel 
from  the  world ;  and  these  very  characters, 
Stephen  affirms,  had  always  resisted  the  Holy 
Ghost.  Of  course  they  must  have  felt  from 
time  to  time  his  influence  and  operations.  But 
that  influence  they  had  as  often  resisted.  Not 
only  were  they  themselves  the  subjects  of 
divine  influence,  but  their  impenitent  fathers 
were  ever  before  them:  "Ye  do  always  resist 
the  Holy  Ghost.  As  your  fathers  did,  so  do 
you."  Thus  it  seems  that  their  ancestors  had 
been  distinguished  for  their  resistance  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.  This  passage,  therefore,  not  only 
proves  that  the  Holy  Ghost  strove  with  all 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  99 

impenitent' sinners  in  the  days  of  the  apostles, 
but  that  it  had  been  the  order  of  God  under 
the  former  dispensation.  It  was  said  by  St. 
John,  in  speaking  of  Christ,  that  he  was  the 
true  light  that  lighteth  every  man  that  cometh 
into  the  world.  This  was  not  done  by  his 
personal  ministry,  nor  has  it  been  done  by  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel ;  it  then  follows  that 
it  must  be  effected  by  the  illuminations  of  his 
Spirit.  The  Apostle  Paul  says,  "  The  grace 
of  God  which  bringeth  salvation  hath  appeared 
unto  all  men,  teaching  us  that,  denying  ungod- 
liness and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly, 
righteously,  and  godly  in  this  present  world." 
Again,  says  the  same  apostle,  "  But  this  man- 
ifestation of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man 
to  profit  withal."  I  shall  at  present  quote  but 
one  more  passage  on  this  subject,  and  that 
was  spoken  by  Jesus  Christ  himself.  "It  is 
expedient  for  you,"  "that  I  go  away;  for  if 
I  go  not  away  the  Comforter  will  not  come 
unto  you,  but  if  I  depart  I  will  send  him  unto 
you ;  and  when  he  is  come  he  will  reprove  the 
world  of  sin  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment." Here  his  mission  was  not  to  the 
Church,  but  to  the  world.  "He  shall  re- 
prove the  world,"  in  contradistinction  from 
the  Church.  I  admit  that  he  is  given  to  the 


ioo      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Church  as  a  Comforter,  but  he  is  sent  to  the 
world  as  a  reprover  or  convincer  of  sin.  This 
passage  itself  is  conclusive  on  this  subject;  it 
needs  no  corroborating  evidence.  It  is  clear 
from  this  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  sent  forth  to 
convince  the  sinner  of  sin,  to  awaken  him  to  a 
sense  of  his  guilt. 

From  the  Scriptures  already  adduced  it  is 
apparent  that  the  work  of  salvation  is  com- 
menced, carried  on,  and  completed  by  grace. 
"By  grace  are  ye  saved;"  not  only  in  part, 
but  in  full.  But  although  the  Holy  Spirit 
strives  with  all  men,  exerts  his  awakening  and 
enlightening  influence  upon  the  heart  of  every 
impenitent  sinner,  yet  that  influence  is  not 
irresistible ;  it  does  not  control  man's  agency, 
but  rather  enables  him  to  exercise  his  agency, 
which  before  was  measurably  under  the  con- 
trol of  moral  evil,  and  also  to  employ  aright 
his  moral  energies  and  powers,  which  had  been 
weakened  and  enervated  by  sin.  This  is  the 
difference  between  our  Calvinistic  brethren  and 
ourselves.  They  maintain  that  this  influence 
is  irresistible.  It  constitutes  what  they  style 
the  effectual  call,  which  completely  controls  the 
agency  of  the  sinner  and  brings  him  to  submit 
to  God.  We  maintain  that  it  may  be  resisted 
and  is  resisted  by  every  incorrigible  sinner. 


PRESIDING   ELDERSHIP.  101 

We  read  of  "quenching  the  Spirit,"  of  "re- 
sisting the  Holy  Ghost,"  of  some  who  "reject 
the  counsel  of  God  against  themselves."  The 
sinner,  we  maintain,  may  yield  to  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  thereby  secure  his  sal- 
vation ;  or  he  may  resist,  and  seal  forever  his 
damnation. 

On  a  subsequent  occasion  he  preached  a 
sermon  on  the  same  subject,  from  the  same 
text,  in  opposition  to  the  new  doctrines  of  Rev. 
A.  Campbell,  and  the  New  Light  Holders. 
Although  some  portions  of  it  were  much  like 
his  former  sermon,  it  includes  an  extended 
argument  in  defense  of  the  operation  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  the  hearts  of  the  uncon- 
verted, and  may  be  useful  to  those  who  desire 
to  combat  these  dangerous  doctrines,  so  popu- 
lar at  that  time,  and  still  dominant  in  some 
localities.  His  discourse  is  given  in  the  simple, 
unfinished  style  in  which  it  was  used  on  the 
occasion. 

A  SERMON  ON  THE  PLAN   OF  SALVATION. 

"By  grace  are  ye  saved,  through  faith;  and  that  not  of 
yourselves;  it  is  the  gift  of  God." 

The    salvation   mentioned   in    the   text   is 
attainable    through    faith;     but    our    redemp- 


IO2      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINEKANCY. 

tion  from  under  the  curse  of  the  law  does 
not  depend  in  any  sense  on  the  faith  of  the 
subject.  All  have  been  redeemed,  without  any 
reference  to  their  faith  or  unbelief.  In  this 
sense  "Christ  is  the  Savior  of  all  men."  But 
as  the  salvation  named  in  the  text  is  suspended 
to  us  on  the  condition  of  faith,  it  is  evident 
that  it  is  present  salvation,  salvation  from  sins, 
that  salvation  which  the  Christian  experiences 
in  this  life.  This  the  apostle  asserts  is  by 
grace;  "by  grace  are  ye  saved."  Grace,  in  its 
common  acceptation,  implies  favor — free,  un- 
merited favor — favor  bestowed  without  claim- 
ing any  equivalent  of  the  recipient.  But  it 
also  implies  that  .sanctification  of  our  nature 
which  qualifies  us  for  heaven,  that  work  of  God 
in  the  soul  which  restores  us  to  the  divine  im- 
age and  fits  us  for  eternal  life.  Thus  from  the 
text  it  is  evident  that  our  present  salvation  is 
by  grace  ;  that  is,  it  is  God  that  commences, 
that  carries  on  and  completes  the  work  in  the 
heart,  from  the  first  convictions  of  sin,  from 
the  first  awakening  of  the  sinner,  till  it  ends  to 
the  glofy  of  God.  This  work  is  of  grace,  not 
in  part  merely,  but  in  full.  There  are  those 
of  modern  times,  who  have  some  claims  to  lit- 
erary and  theological  attainments,  that  assert 
the  doctrine  of  man's  natural  abilities  to  con- 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  103 

vert  himself.  There  is  a  system  or  form  of  Cal- 
vinism known  by  the  name  of  New  Divinity,  or 
New  School  Divinity,  the  offspring  of  this  age 
of  improvement  and  invention,  which  altogether 
excludes  divine  agency  from  the  work  of  our 
salvation,  except  so  far  as  the  will  is  concerned. 
This  system  of  doctrine  asserts  that  man  pos- 
sesses the  power  of  self-conversion,  except  the 
will  or  dispensation,  and  that  all  the  assistance 
he  needs  in  the  accomplishment  of  this  work 
is  to  influence  the  will  to  do  right. 

Nearly  related  to  this  is  the  doctrine  of  Mr. 
A.  Campbell,  who  denies  the  doctrine  of  divine 
influence,  and  maintains  that  man  is  capable 
of  repenting,  believing,  and  obeying  the  divine 
agency.  He  believes  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  given  to  the  Christian  after  baptism,  or 
perhaps  in  the  act  of  immersion,  but  not  be- 
fore ;  and  then  he  is  not  given  to  aid  him  in 
working  out  his  salvation,  but  simply  as  a 
Comforter  and  a  Witness,  to  witness  his  adop- 
tion. Thus  it  seems  Mr.  Campbell  excludes 
divine  agency  altogether  from  the  work  of  our 
salvation ;  for  even  the  new  birth  itself,  ac- 
cording to  his  doctrine,  is  accomplished  by  the 
agency  of  water, — the  Christian  is  regenerated 
by  water. 

Hence,  while  one  of  these  systems  just  no- 


IO4     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ticed  excludes  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  and  the  work  of  grace  from  the  sinner's 
heart,  except  merely  to  influence  the  will,  the 
other  excludes  it  altogether,  and  ascribes  all  the 
work  of  salvation  to  man  himself.  Thus  man 
may  claim  the  theory  of  saving  himself  from 
sin  and  fitting  himself  for  heaven.  But  with 
whatever  abilities  these  systems  of  theology, 
so  called,  may  be  advocated,  and  however  they 
may  be  embellished  by  the  ornaments  of  sci- 
ence and  ingenuity,  they  most  certainly  present 
a  striking  contrariety  to  the  doctrine  of  Scrip- 
ture. In  the  first  place,  the  doctrines  we  now 
oppose  are  at  variance  with  the  moral  depravity 
of  human  nature ;  for  if  it  be  true  that  man  is 
capable  of  repenting,  believing,  and  meeting 
the  claims  of  the  divine  grace  without  divine 
assistance,  it  can  not  be  true  that  his  mental 
powers  have  been  deranged  by  sin,  and  his 
whole  nature  involved  in '  moral  depravity. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  picture  drawn 
by  the  pencil  of  inspiration,  of  the  moral  de- 
pravity of  the  human  heart  be  correct ;  if  it  be 
true  "that  every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  the  heart  is  evil  and  that  continually;"  if  it 
be  true  that  "the  whole  heart  is  sick,  the 
whole  heart  is  faint ;  from  the  sole  of  the  foot 
even  to  the  head  there  is  no  soundness  in  it, 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  105 

but  bruises  and  wounds  and  putrefying  sores, 
which  have  not  been  closed,  neither  bound  up, 
neither  mollified  with  ointment;"  if  it  be  true 
that  the  natural  man  "is  carnal,  sold  under 
sin ;"  if  it  follows  that  man  has  no  power  to 
take  the  first  step  in  the  work  of  his  salvation 
without  divine  assistance ;  if  human  nature, 
while  thus  unrewarded,  be  under  the  influence 
of  moral  depravity,  man  possesses  no  more 
power  to  work  out  his  salvation  without  divine 
assistance  than  he  did  to  create  himself. 

This  is  not  mere  speculation ;  it  is  war- 
ranted by  the  Word  of  God.  "  We  are  not 
sufficient  of  ourselves,  to  think  any  thing 
as  of  ourselves,  but  our  sufficiency  is  of 
God."  Here  the  apostle  asserts  his  ina- 
bility to  think  a  good  thought  without  divine 
assistance.  "Without  me,"  says  the  blessed 
Savior,  "you  can  do  nothing."  "How  to  per- 
form that  which  is  good,  I  find  not,"  says 
Paul.  "No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the 
Father  which  sent  me  draw  him,"  is  the  .asser- 
tion of  Christ.  Thus  it  is  clear,  from  the 
Scripture  quoted,  that  man  is  dependent  upon 
divine  grace  for  power  to  make  the  very  first 
efforts  in  the  work  of  his  salvation.  It  there- 
fore follows  that  if  such  assistance  is  denied 
the  sinner,  his  salvation  is  impossible  and  his 


io6     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

\ 

damnation  inevitable.  Although  the  damnation 
of  all  men  would  be  certain  on  this  ground, 
yet  no  man  would  have  any  agency  in  affecting 
his  own  damnation,  but  it  would  be  the  neces- 
sary result  of  inherent  depravity  of  his  nature. 
How  a  man  literally  dead  could  resurrect  him- 
self is  exceedingly  hard  to  conceive.  Nothing 
could  be  more  absurd  than  such  a  supposition. 
It  involves  the  absurdity  of  supposing  a  man 
to  act  before  he  had  an  existence.  It  is  no 
less  absurd  to  suppose  that  a  man  morally  or 
spiritually  dead  could  work  himself  into  a  state 
of  spiritual  life.  The  Scripture  represents 
man  while  in  a  state  of  nature  as  dead  in  sin, 
in  a  state  of  moral  death.  "You  hath  he 
quickened  who  were  dead  in  trespasses  and  in 
sins."  "  Even  when  we  were  dead  in  sin,  hath 
he  quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 

If,  then,  men  are  spiritually  dead  while  in  a 
state  of  nature,  there  must  be  some  influence 
exerted  upon  them  capable  of  quickening  or 
imparting  life  before  they  can  make  the  first 
exertion  in  coming  to  God.  This  work  is 
ascribed  directly  to  God  in  the  Scriptures  just 
quoted,  "And  you  hath  he  quickened,  who 
were  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins."  Again, 
"Even  when  we  were  dead  in  sin,  hath  he 
quickened  us  together  with  Christ." 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  107 

The  manner  in  which  sinners  who  are  dead 
in  sins  are  aroused  from  that  state  of  moral 
death,  and  introduced  into  a  state  of  spiritual 
life,  is  more  fully  illustrated  in  Ezekiel's  vision 
of  dry  bones.  He  was  conducted  into  a  valley 
of  dry  bones,  and  was  required  to  prophesy 
unto  them  ;  and  while  he  prophesied  the  breath 
of  the  Lord  came  upon  them  and  they  lived. 
These  dry  bones  represented  the  house  of 
Israel  in  the  first  place,  and,  secondly,  I  appre- 
hend, the  moral  condition  of  the  Gentile  world  ; 
prophecy  represents  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel ;  and  the  breath  of  the  Lord  that  energy 
of  the  divine  Spirit  which  attends  the  minis- 
tration of  truth  to  the  heart.  Thus  the  Gospel 
is  the  instrument  or  the  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel, but  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the  agent  in 
awakening  and  converting  the  sinner.  This  is 
the  doctrine  uniformly  taught  in  the  Script- 
ures of  the  New  Testament,  "Our  Gospel 
came  not  to  you  in  word  only,"  says  the  apos- 
tle, "but  in  power  and  demonstration  of  the 
Spirit."  "For  we  are  his  workmanship,  cre- 
ated in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works." 

But  we  will  now  notice  some  Scriptures 
which  show  directly  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
does  strive  with  impenitent  sinners:  "My 


io8     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Spirit,"  says  God,  "shall  not  always  strive  with 
man."  The  term  man  is  here  used  in  its  most 
enlarged  sense,  to  include  the  whole  family  of 
man ;  hence  this  passage  contains  evidence 
direct,  that  God's  Spirit  did  strive  with  all  pre- 
vious to  that  time,  but  on  account  of  their 
excessive  wickedness,  the  violent  resistance 
they  had  offered  to  his  Holy  Spirit,  he  would 
be  withdrawn  ;  and  in  that  very  act  their  dam- 
nation would  be  sealed.  St.  Stephen,  in  ad- 
dressing the  Jewish  council,  says:  "Ye  stiff- 
necked  and  uncircumcised  in  hearts  and  ears, 
ye  do  always  resist  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  your 
fathers  did,  so  do  ye."  This  passage  was  ad- 
dressed to  those  Jews  who  had  bathed  their 
hands  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  would  at 
that  time,  if  they  could,  with  one  fell  stroke 
have  struck  the  religion  of  Christ  out  of  exist- 
ence, crushed  the  infant  Church,  and  banished 
the  Christian  name  from  the  earth  forever. 
These  same  impenitent  Jews  who  were  then 
clamoring  for  the  blood  of  Stephen  resisted 
the  Holy  Ghost ;  of  course  they  must  have 
been  the  subjects  of  his  influence.  But  their 
impenitent  fathers  before  them  were  also  the 
subjects  of  his  influence.  "Ye  do  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost ;  as  your  fathers  did,  so 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  109 

do  ye."  Thus  it  is  clear  from  this  passage 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  uniformly  strove  with  men, 
under  the  Jewish  as  well  as  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation. John  says,  in  speaking  of  Christ, 
"  He  is  the  true  light,  that  lighteth  every  man 
that  cometh  into  the  world."  This  Christ  did 
not  do  by  his  personal  ministrations,  nor  by 
the  ministry  of  the  apostles,  for  they  did  not 
preach  the  Gospel  to  half  the  men  that  were 
in  the  world ;  it  therefore  follows  that  it  would 
only  be  done  by  the  secret  influence  of  his 
Spirit  exerted  upon  the  heart.  Our  Lord 
explains  to  us  how  this  is  done ;  says  he, 
"Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the  truth,  it  is  expe- 
dient for  you  that  I  go  away  ;  for  if  I  go  not 
away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come  unto  you; 
but  if  I  depart  I  will  send  him  unto  you. 
And  when  he  is  come  he  will  reprove  the 
world  of  sin  and  of  righteousness  and  of  judg- 
ment." The  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  prom- 
ised in  this  passage,  contemplates  a  two- 
fold object :  First,  to  comfort  the  Church,  sec- 
ondly, to  reprove  the  world.  His  mission  was 
not  restricted  to  the  Church,  but  the  world, 
in  contradistinction  to  the  Church,  was  to  be 
the  scene  of  his  operation.  To  the  Church  he 
was  given  as  a  comforter,  but  to  the  world  he 


1 10     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

was  sent  as  a  reprover  of  sin.  This  passage 
will  afford  a  comment  upon  the  passage  in 
John  above  quoted.  There  Christ  is  said  to 
enlighten  every  man  that  Cometh  into  the 
world,  to  convince  men  of  sin.  If  this  pas- 
sage, therefore,  stood  alone  on  this  subject,  it 
would  be  sufficient  to  support  the  doctrine 
of  a  divine  influence  on  the  sinner's  heart. 
Other  passages,  however,  might  be  adduced 
if  necessary,  but  sufficient,  we  conceive,  have 
been  quoted.  It  is  said  of  Lydia  that  the 
Lord  "opened  her  heart,  that  she  attended 
unto  the  things  which  were  spoken  by  Paul." 
This  was  not  done  by  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  but  it  was  preparatory  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  Gospel.  "  He  opened  her  heart 
that  she  attended  to  the  things  spoken  by 
Paul ;"  of  course  God  exerted  an  influence 
upon  her  heart  altogether  separate  and  distinct 
from  the  Gospel. 

We  are  required  to  pray  for  all  men  and 
for  the  success  of  the  Gospel  among  men. 
"  I  exhort,  therefore,  that  first  of  all  that  sup- 
plication, prayers,  intercessions,  and  of  giving 
of  thanks  be  made  for  all  men,"  etc.  Again 
says  the  apostle,  "  Pray  for  me  that  the  Word 
of  God  may  have  free  course  and  be  glorified." 


PRESIDING  ELDERSHIP.  1 1 1 

If  we  are  to  pray  for  sinners  it  evidently  sup- 
poses that  God  has  something  to  do  in  bring- 
ing about  their  salvation,  and  n  inducing 
repentance  in  them,  otherwise  it  would  be  folly 
and  absurd  to  pray  for  them.  And,  again, 
why  should  we  pray  for  the  success  of  the 
Gospel  if  God's  Spirit  has  nothing  to  do  with 
sinners'?  Our  obligation  to  pray  for  sinners, 
and  that  the  Word  of  God  may  have  free 
course  and  be  glorified,  evidently  supposes 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  the  efficient  and  only 
agent  in  the  awakening  and  salvation  of  the 
sinner  and  in  the  success  of  the  Gospel.  A 
Paul  may  plant,  and  Apollos  water,  but  the 
increase  is  from  God.  Thus  from  the  Script- 
ures is  adduced  that  the  work  of  our  salvation 
is  commenced,  carried  on,  and  completed  by 
grace.  The  top  stone  of  our  salvation  will  be 
brought  forth  at  last  with  shoutings,  Grace, 
grace  unto  it.  By  grace  are  ye  saved.  Though 
this  work  is  of  grace  from  beginning  to  end, 
from  first  to  last,  our  own  agency  is  by  no 
means  excluded.  Such  is  the  depravity  of 
human  nature  that  man  is  incapable  of  exer- 
cising his  agency  in  practicing  virtue  without 
divine  assistance  ;  but  the  grace  of  God  does 
not  control,  but  only  assists  man's  agency. 
By  divine  grace  he  is  enabled  to  exercise  it  in 


H2     TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  discharge  of  religious  duty  and  in  working 
out  his  salvation.  The  apostle  exhorts  his 
brethren  to  "work  out  your  salvation  with  fear 
and  trembling,  for  it  is  God  that  works  within 
you  to  will  and  to  do." 


-  CHAPTER  FIFTH. 

MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT  CONTINUED. 

Sermon  on  the  Mission  of  Paul  to  the  Gentiles — Four  Years 
on  the  District — His  Residence  in  Mount  Vernon — His  Habits 
of  Study — Greek  and  Hebrew — Habits  at  Home — Incident  :it 
Family  Prayer — G.  J.  Accompanies  him  to  Quarterly-meeting — 
Incident — Prolific  Cow — Mischievous  Boys  at  Mount  Vernon — 
Mock  Worship  in  a  Saloon — Reproof  by  Elder  Plielps — The 
Young  Man's  Tragic  End — The  Death  of  Little  Ella — Beauti- 
ful Tribute  to  her  Memory — Poem  on  Ella's  Death  by  Thomas 
Johnson — Birth  of  Mary  Frances — Letter  to  his  Father-in-law — 
Revival  in  Mount  Vernon — Camp  -  meeting — Dreadful  Thun- 
der-storm— John  Maxey — Number  of  Members  in  the  Confer- 
ence— Leading  Ministers  of  the  Rock  River  Conference — Death 
Roll — PiixtonCummings — S'pencer  Hunter — William  Cundiff — 
Peter  Borein  —  George  Smith — John  Dew — Joshua  Barnes — 
David  B.  Carter — John  E.  French — Samuel  H.  Thompson — 
Interesting  Letter  to  his  Wife — Sermon  on  the  Call  and  Sup- 
port of  the  Ministry. 

r  I  ^HE  Apostle  Paul  and  his  mission  to  the 
X  Gentiles  is  a  fruitful  subject  of  study. 
Mr.  Phelps  was  evidently  a  great  admirer  of 
Paul.  His  sermon,  here  inserted,  will  increase 
our  admiration  of  the  great  Apostle  to  the 
Gentiles.  Although  not  written  for  the  press, 

it  will  well  repay  a  careful  perusal. 

10  113 


ii4      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

A  SERMON  ON   THE   MISSION   OF   PAUL  TO  THE  GEN- 
TILES. 

"Unto  me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints,  is  this 
grace  given,  that  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ." — EPHESIANS  in,  8. 

Here  the  apostle  is  speaking  of  the  very 
important  and  highly  responsible  trust  which 
God  had  committed  to  him ;  namely,  that  of 
preaching  the  Gospel  to  the  Gentiles.  "Unto 
me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints, 
is  this  grace  given,  that  I  should  preach 
among  the  Gentiles  the  unsearchable  riches  of 
Christ."  Although  the  apostle  has  occasion 
here  to  speak  of  himself  as  God's  embassador, 
as  the  honored  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God 
in  disclosing  to  the  benighted  Gentiles  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ,  yet  with  what 
unfeigned  modesty  he  speaks  of  himself!  how 
deeply  does  his  language  mark  the  humility  of 
his  heart !  He  does  it  in  such  a  manner  as  not 
to  detract  in  the  least  from  the  grace  or  glory  of 
God ;  he  desires  not  to  fix  their  eyes  upon  the 
instrument,  but  upon  the  author  of  their  salva- 
tion. He  wishes  not  to  attract  their  admira- 
tion himself,  but  to  excite  their  gratitude  to 
God,  who  was  the  source  of  all  their  blessings. 
"Unto  me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all 
saints."  How  oreat  must  have  been  the  self- 

o 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  115 

abasement,  and  the  sense  of  his  own  unwor- 
thiness  that  dictated  the  language  of  the  text. 
Whatever  excellences  he  might  have  pos- 
sessed, whatever  may  have  been  his  abilities 
or  qualifications  for  ministerial  labor  and  use- 
fulness, they  seem  all  to  have  been  forgotten 
under  a  sense  of  the  infinite  perfection  and 
goodness  of  God.  Self  seems  to  have  been 
last.  His  object  was  to  extol  the  grace  of 
God  in  the  salvation  of  the  heathen ;  and 
therefore  he  keeps  himself,  as  the  instrument, 
as  much  as  possible  behind  the  curtain.  This, 
too,  was  the  language  of  the  great  Apostle  of 
the  Gentiles,  who,  in  point  of  literary  attain- 
ments, intellectual  endowments,  the  amount 
and  success  of  his  labors,  the  sufferings,  dan- 
gers, and  perils  he  underwent  for  the  sake  of 
Christ,  and  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  no 
equal  in  the  ministerial  works  in  the  Church 
of  Christ.  No  man  wielded  a  greater  relig- 
ious influence  than  did  St.  Paul.  No  man 
achieved  the  same  success  in  the  great  work 
of  evangelizing  the  world.  No  man  could 
vindicate  and  defend  with  so  much  ability  the 
Gospel  of  Christ  against  its  enemies  as  he. 
Even  Roman  statesmen,  who  were  no  friends 
to  the  Christian  religion,  highly  complimented 
his  abilities.  Such  was  the  force  and  power 


n6     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

of  his  reasoning,  and  such  the  holy  unction 
that  attended  his  ministry,  that  under  St.  Paul 
Felix  trembled;  and  Agrippa  on  his  throne, 
under  its  overwhelming  influence,  exclaimed, 
"Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian." And  Festus,  feeling  the  powerful  effects 
of  the  Word  preached  by  such  a  man,  cried 
out,  abruptly,  "Paul,  thou  art  beside  thyself; 
much  learning  hath  made  thee  mad."  But 
notwithstanding  his  exalted  abilities,  and  what 
he  had  already  accomplished  under  the  bless- 
ing of  God,  and  what  he  was  capable  of  doing 
under  divine  influence,  when  he  views  himself 
in  the  relation  of  an  embassador  to  God,  com- 
missioned to  proclaim  the  glad  tidings  of  sal- 
vation to  a  ruined  world,  he  is  humbled  in  the 
dust  at  the  feet  of  Christ ;  he  feels  himself 
lighter  than  the  dust  in  the  balances.  "Unto 
me,  who  am  less  than  the  least  of  all  saints." 
Possibly  the  early  history  of  the  apostle, 
the  opposition  and  enmity  he  had  evinced  to- 
ward the  Gospel,  may  have  tended  to  increase 
his  humility  in  subsequent  life.  He  had  been 
distinguished  in  his  early  life  for  his  course  of 
violent  persecution  against  the  Christian  relig- 
ion. He  breathed  forth  death  and  slaughter 
against  Christians  wherever  he  went.  To  use 
his  own  language,  "he  was  a  blasphemer," 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  117 

and  a  "persecutor,"  and  "injurious."  In  short, 
a  blind  zeal  for  the  tradition  of  the  fathers,  a 
fiery,  persecuting'  spirit,  pride,  ambition,  and 
vanity,  had  formed  the  prominent  traits  of  his 
character  before  his  conversion  to  Christianity. 
Therefore  a  recollection  of  his  former  charac- 
ter, his  persecution  of  the  saints  of  God,  and 
his  opposition  to  the  Christian  faith,  may  have 
tended  to  render  him  more  humble  after  he 
was  admitted  into  fellowship  with  the  Son 
of  God. 

But  evidently  the  feeling  expressed  here  by 
the  apostle  is  possessed  more  or  less  by  every 
genuine  Christian.  Wherever  the  love  of  God 
predominates  in  the  heart  it  supplants  vanity, 
pride,  and  self-confidence,  and  inspires  humil- 
ity and  meekness.  Religion  gives  us  proper 
views  of  ourselves,  of  the  depravity  of  our 
hearts,  and  of  our  personal  demerit,  and  sinks 
us  in  the  dust  at  the  feet  of  Christ.  The  sen- 
timent expressed  here  by  the  apostle,  I  appre- 
hend, is  felt  more  or  less  in  a  peculiar  sense 
by  every  faithful  minister  of  the  Gospel.  The 
minister  who  feels  the  worth  of  souls  as  he 
should,  the  weight  of  his  charge,  and  the  re- 
sponsibilities it  involves,  must  feel  his  own 
incompetency  to  the  work,  and  consequently 
be  humbled  under  a  sense  of  the  same.  "That 


ii8      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ." 

The  apostle's  mission  was  specially  or  par- 
ticularly to  the  Gentiles.  His  call  was  not  so 
much  to  labor  among  the  Jews  as  to  plant  the 
standard  of  the  cross  in  heathen  lands,  to  pen- 
etrate into  the  regions  of  darkness  and  moral 
night,  and  light  up  the  sacred  torch,  to  guide 
the  bewildered  heathen  to  the  Zion  of  the 
Lord.  When  he  was  first  called  to  be  an 
apostle  the  field  of  his  labor  and  the  nature 
of  his  mission  were  pointed  out  by  Christ 
himself.  "Depart,"  says  Christ,  "for  I  will 
send  thee  far  hence  unto  the  Gentiles."  And 
again,  "  I  have  set  thee  to  be  a  light  to  the 
Gentiles."  He  was  sent  to  the  uncircumcis- 
ion  as  Peter  was  to  the  circumcision.  When 
writing  to  the  Galatians  the  apostle  observes, 
"  But  when  it  pleased  God,  who  separated  me 
from  my  mother's  womb  and  called  me  by  his 
grace,  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,  that  I  might 
preach  him  among  the  heathen."  In  his  epis- 
tle to  the  Romans  he  says:  "For  I  speak  to 
the  Gentiles.  Inasmuch  as  I  am  the  apostle 
of  the  Gentiles,  I  magnify  mine  office." 

Hence  we  see  him,  instead  of  hunting  up 
the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel,  instead 
of  turning  his  attention  to  the  seed  of  Abraham, 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  119 

directing  his  course  into  Greece.  Under  his 
ministerial  labor,  moral  darkness  recedes  be- 
fore the  light  of  divine  truth,  altars  and  tem- 
ples erected  to  the  worship  of  idols  and  pagan 
deities  are  overthrown,  the  fire  of  human  vic- 
tims is  extinguished,  and  the  religion  of  the 
Bible  succeeds  to  idolatry  and  pagan  super- 
stition. Satan  falls  as  lightning  from  heaven, 
and  the  Gospel  proves  the  power  of  God  unto 
the  salvation  of  thousands  that  were  before  in 
darkness.  No  sooner  did  the  apostle  organize 
Churches,  and  get  them  properly  disciplined, 
than  he  committed  them  to  the  care  and  over- 
sight of  elders,  whom  he  ordained  for  this  pur- 
pose, and  *  continued  himself  to  push  forward 
the  conquest  of  the  Cross  to  other  heathen 
lands.  And  such  was  his  untiring  zeal,  and 
indefatigable  diligence  in  the  great  work  of 
evangelizing  the  heathen,  that  not  only  did 
Asia  Minor  and  the  different  parts  of  Greece 
receive  the  Gospel  by  his  labors,  but  almost 
the  whole  Roman  Empire  felt  its  happy  influ- 
ence mainly  through  his  instrumentality.  Be- 
fore his  death  there  were  Christians  in  Caesar's 
household,  in  the  family  of  Nero,  that  bloody 
persecutor,  that  demon  incarnate,  who  waged 
the  most  merciless  warfare  against  those  who 
espoused  the  Christian  religion.  Well  might 


I2O      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

St.    Paul   be   styled   the  great  Apostle  of  the 
Gentiles. 

"That  I  should  preach  among  the  Gentiles 
the  unsearchable  riches  of  Christ."  Here  the 
apostle  seems  to  allude  to  the  unfathomable 
depths  of  divine  mercy  and  grace,  as  connected 
with  the  scheme  and  work  of  human  redemp- 
tion, the  various  footsteps  of  God  in  the  sal- 
vation of  fallen  and  guilty  man,  the  plans 
he  had  devised,  the  dispensations  he  had 
brought  about  and  providences  he  had  com- 
bined, to  prepare,  mature,  and  bring  to  effect 
his  gracious  design  in  the  salvation  of  a  ruined 
world  by  Jesus  Christ.  The  plan  had  been 
maturing  for  several  successive  centuries,  from 
the  time  the  promise  of  a  Savior  was  made  to 
Adam,  until  the  whole  was  consummated  in 
the  sufferings,  death,  and  resurrection  of  Jesus 
Christ.  There  are  displays  of  wisdom,  mercy, 
and  benevolence  in  the  work  of  human  re- 
demption which  I  apprehend  no  finite  mind 
can  fully  comprehend,  and  which  are  calculated 
at  once  to  awaken  the  astonishment  and  excite 
the  admiration  of  men  and  angels,  of  earth 
and  of  heaven.  The  plan  of  salvation,  and 
that  system  of  religious  truth  disclosed  in  the 
Gospel,  may  be  considered  unsearchable,  first, 
because  they  have  never  been  discovered  by 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  121 

human  reason  alone,  by  the  powers  of  man 
unaided  by  revelation.  These  are  matters  far 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  human  intellect,  till 
they  are  made  known  by  revelation.  Hence, 
says  the  apostle,  "  Eye  hath  not  seen,  nor  ear 
heard,  neither  have  entered  into  the  heart  of 
man  the  things  which  God  has  prepared  for 
them  that  love  him;  but  God  hath  revealed 
them  unto  us  by  his  Spirit."  Here  the  apostle 
teaches  us  that  what  no  human  eye  had  seen, 
ear  heard,  or  heart  or  mind  conceived,  had 
been  revealed  to  us  by  his  Holy  Spirit.  The 
infinite  grace  and  mercy  of  God  to  man,  the 
great  work  of  redemption,  and  the  magnitude 
of  the  blessings  secured  to  the  faithful  by  the 
death  of  Christ,  awakened  the  attention  and 
excited  the  admiration  of  winged  seraphs 
around  the  •  divine  throne.  They  are  repre- 
sented as  bending  over  these  matters  with  the 
utmost  interest,  bringing  all  their  noble  powers 
and  superior  energies  of  mind  to  endeavor  to 
solve  the  sublime  mysteries  of  godliness,  and 
comprehend  the  system  of  divine  mercy  to 
man.  "  Angels  desire  to  look  into  these 
things,"  is  the  language  of  the  inspired  writer. 
Though  angels  are  not  personally  concerned 
in  this  matter,  yet  the  salvation  of  man  af- 
fords such  an  illustration  of  the  perfections  of 

ii 


122      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Jehovah,  such  an  illustrious  display  of  the  jus- 
tice, truth,  holiness,  love,  mercy,  and  benevo- 
lence of  God  as  must  interest  all  his  intelligent 
creatures. 

There  are,  no  doubt,  depths  of  divine  mercy 
and  riches  of  grace  which  no  finite  mind  can 
fully  explore  in  this  life.  There  is -a  fullness 
in  God,  there  are  blessings  connected  with 
the  Gospel,  which  the  most  distinguished  and 
highly  privileged  saint  can  never  fully  experi- 
ence in  this  state  of  existence.  The  more  the 
Christian's  experience  becomes  matured,  the 
greater  his  attainments  in  grace,  the  higher 
his  enjoyments,  and  the  more  profound  his 
knowledge  of  God,  the  greater  the  blessings 
he  will  still  see  in  his  advance.  Even  St.  Paul 
himself,  while  under  plenary  inspiration,  expe- 
rienced this.  The  more  he  labored,  the  more 
he  wrote  and  preached,  the  more  exalted  and 
expanded  were  his  views,  because  of  the  mercy 
and  benevolence  of  God. 

If  we  view  his  epistles  in  their  chronolog- 
ical order,  it  will  be  apparent  that,  the  longer 
he  lived,  the  more  he  labored,  and  the  more 
he  contemplated  the  subject  of  human  salva- 
tion, the  clearer  and  more  distinct  his  views 
became  of  the  riches  of  divine  grace.  We 
hear  him,  in  this  same  chapter  now  before  us, 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  123 

from  his  bended  knees  praying  for  his  breth- 
ren at  Ephesus,  that  they  might  "receive 
Christ  in  their  hearts  by  faith,  that  they  might 
be  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  might  be  able 
to  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the 
breadth  and  length  and  depth  and  height,  and 
to  know  the  love  of  Christ  which  passeth 
knowledge,  that  they  might  be  filled  with  all 
the  fullness  of  God."  Perhaps  there  was  never 
a  prayer  put  up  by  man  that  comprehended  so 
much  as  this,  and  that  afforded  such  exalted 
views  of  the  plenitude  of  divine  grace,  of  the 
high  privileges  of  the  Christian  and  the  distin- 
guished favors  and  blessings  which  he  may 
enjoy  in  this  life.  And  had  the  apostle  con- 
tinued to  live  and  write  and  preach  until  now, 
it  is  not  probable  that  he  would  have  exhausted 
his  subject,  he  would  not  probably  have  been 
able  to  set  forth  all  the  unsearchable  riches 
of  Christ.  No  wonder,  therefore,  that  the 
apostle,  in  contemplating  this  on  other  occa- 
sions, should  exclaim  impassionately,  "Oh  the 
depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God!  how  unsearchable  are  his 
judgments,  and  his  ways  are  past  finding  out." 
The  apostle,  at  the  close  of  his  prayer  for 
his  Ephesian  brethren,  observes,  "Now  unto 
him  that  is  "able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 


124     TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

above  all  that  we  ask  or  think  according  to 
the  power  that  worketh  in  us."  However 
enlarged  and  comprehensive  our  petitions  may 
be,  however  great  the  blessing  may  be  for 
which  we  pray,  God  is  able  to  bestow  bless- 
ings far  surpassing  those  which  we  ask.  And 
when  we  can  no  longer  find  language  to  clothe 
our  petitions,  when  we  can  no  longer  find 
words  sufficiently  comprehensive  to  express 
our  desires,  then  let  thought  extend  to  its 
utmost  limits,  let  conception  extend  so  far  as 
it  may,  however  the  mind  may  be  trained  to 
contemplation,  to  close  and  intense  thought, 
God  is  able  and  willing  to  bestow  blessings 
far  exceeding  the  utmost  reach  of  such  con- 
ception. And.  I  apprehend  that  it  is  not  a  wild 
or  unreasonable  conjecture  to  suppose  that 
much  will  remain  for  eternity  itself  to  disclose 
to  glorified  saints.  However  much  the  saint 
may  enjoy  in  this  life,  whatever  may  be  his 
attainments  in  grace,  to  whatever  depths  he 
may  sink  in  perfect  love,  and  to  whatever 
heights  he  may  rise  in  the  knowledge  and 
enjoyments  of  God,  the  "half  can  not  be  told" 
to  him  in  this  state  of  existence.  Nor  can  it 
be  expected  that  on  his  arrival  in  heaven  he 
can  at  once  scan  all  the  scenes  of  happiness 
and  felicity  which  he  is  to  explore  in  the  lapse 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  125 

of  endless  duration.  Thousands  of  ages  may 
have  passed  away,  and  yet  there  will  be  an 
infinite  fullness  in  Christ,  and  the  entire  extent 
of  divine  mercy  and  grace  will  still  be  untold 
to  the  spirits  of  just  men  made  perfect.  Well 
may  the  apostle,  therefore,  style  the  riches 
of  Christ  "unsearchable."  Unsearchable  they 
are,  unsearchable  they  will  remain  in  time, 
and  unsearchable  they  will  be  through  eter- 
nity itself. 

"And  to  make  all  men  see  what  is  the 
fellowship  of  the  mystery."  The  principal 
object  of  his  mission  to  the  Gentiles  is  here 
set  forth,  that  "all  men  might  see  what  was 
the  fellowship  of  the  mystery."  During  the 
lapse  of  several  successive  centuries  the  Jews 
remained  the  peculiar  people  of  God ;  they 
alone  were  embraced  in  the  visible  covenant 
of  grace,  they  enjoyed  exclusively  the  privi- 
leges of  the  Church,  they  alone  were  favored 
with  the  oracles  of  God.  And  even  at  the 
dawn  of  the  Gospel  dispensation,  before  it  was 
fully  opened  up,  when  Christ  commissioned  the 
seventy  disciples  to  proclaim  the  approach  of 
the  kingdom  of  God,  they  were  restricted  to 
the  house  of  Israel  in  their  labors.  "Go  ye 
not  in  the  way  of  the  Gentiles,  and  into  any 
city  of  the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not ;  but  go 


126     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

rather  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel,"  were  the  words  of  Christ.  But  when 
the  Gospel  dispensation  was  fully  opened  up, 
after  the  great  atonement  was  made  and  the 
Savior  risen  from  the  tomb,  when  he  came  to 
institute  a  living  ministry  to  be  perpetuated 
through  all  successive  ages  to  the  end  of  time, 
he  enlarges  their  fields  of  labor  to  embrace 
the  world.  He  extends  their  commission  to 
every  inhabitant  of  earth.  "  Go  ye  into  all 
the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature,"  was  the  command  of  Heaven.  The 
apostles  were  sent  forth  to  disciple  the  nations 
of  the  earth.  "  Go  ye  and  teach  all  nations, 
baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father  and 
of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  was  the 
language  of  Christ. 

He  remained  on  this  district  four  years. 
He  built  a  house  of  his  own  in  Mount  Vernon, 
then  a  town  of  one  thousand  inhabitants.  He 
sold  many  books  within  the  bounds  of  his  dis- 
trict, and  labored  to  induce  the  people  to  read 
the  Church  papers.  He  was  a  friend  to  educa- 
tion, and  an  enthusiastic  student  himself.  He 
would  retire  at  ten  oclock  P.  M.,  at  home  or 
abroad,  and  arise  at  four  o'clock  A.  M.,  and 
pursue  his  studies.  Among  strangers  he  faith- 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  127 

fully  observed  this  rule.  He  took  up  the  study 
of  Greek  and  Hebrew,  and  by  continued  per- 
severance became  well  versed  in  the  original 
languages  of  the  Bible.  At  home  he  was 
playful  and,  when  well,  very  cheerful. 

Once  while  engaged  at  family  devotions, 
as  he  arose  to  sing — a  grand  old  custom  of 
the  fathers — George,  then  quite  a  lad,  arose, 
turned  his  chair,  and  resting  his  knee  on  the 
bottom  and  his  elbow  on  the  back,  was  enjoy- 
ing the  singing,  keeping  time  in  true  primitive 
style  by  the  motion  of  his  body,  when  he  lost 
his  balance  and  fell  full  length  on  the  floor. 
This  occurred  just  as  his  father  was  kneeling. 
Mr.  Phelps  controlled  his  feelings,  but  not 
without  an  effort  and  some  embarrassment. 

George  J.  Barrett  went  with  him  to  attend 
a  quarterly  meeting.  On  their  way  they  tar- 
ried for  refreshments ;  and  at  the  conclusion 
of  the  repast  proposed  a  season  of  prayer. 
They  knelt,  and  Mr.  Phelps  said,'"  Brother  Bar- 
rett, pray  with  us."  G.  J.  B.  replied,  "  Brother 
Phelps,  pray."  Mr.  Phelps,  responded  firmly, 
as  his  superior  officer,  "  Brother  B,,  pray." 
He  quickly  responded,  "-No,  brother  PJielps, 
you  pray."  The  third  time  Mr.  Phelps  said, 
"  Brother  B.,  lead  in  prayer ;"  and  the  third 
time  he  responded,  "Brother  Phelps,  lead 


XI28     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

in  prayer  /"  Brother  Phelps  lead  the  devo- 
tions ;  then  he  arose  and  told  the  young  min- 
ister he  had  -  better  go  back  to  his  charge 
and  attend  to  his  own  work.  Brother  B.  said 
he  was  going  over  to  enjoy  the  quarterly 
meeting,  not  to  work. 

One  of  his  cows — he  kept  three — raised 
twin  calves,  and  Mrs.  Phelps  named  one  "Ja- 
cob" and  the  other  "Esau."  Mr.  Phelps 
greatly  enjoyed  telling  that  "Jacob  would 
always  rob  Esau!"  The  boys  in  Mount  Ver- 
non  were  very  mischievous.  On  one  Christ- 
mas morning  the  whole  family  were  aroused 
by  the  crowing  of  chickens  and  quacking  of 
geese ;  the  confusion  was  unendurable.  The 
boys  had  piled  about  the  doorway  boxes  full 
of  chickens  and  geese. 

At  another  time  some  mischievous  fellows 
took  his  carriage  apart  and  placed  it  upon  the 
top  of  "his  barn.  Mr.  Phelps  went  over  to  the 
store  where  one  of  the  principals  in  the  mis- 
chief was  supposed  to  be,  and  said  to  him,  '  I 
do  not  care  how  many  times  you  put  my  buggy 
upon  my  barn  if  you  only  take  it  down  again." 
How  it  got  down  was  not  a  matter  of  general 
notoriety,  but  that  it  was  very  quickly  and  slyly 
restored  to  its  old  place  was  especially  noted 
by  the  family  and  near  neighbors. 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  129 

One  young  man  attempted  to  hold  mock 
worship  in  a  saloon,  and  actually  proceeded  to 
administer  the  sacrament  in  regular  form  to 
his  drinking  companions.  Elder  Phelps  being 
informed  of  his  wicked  mock  services,  said  to 
him,  "Brother  Tommy,  I  am  afraid  you  will 
come  to  some  bad  end."  Sometime  after  this 
young  man  cut  his  own  throat  with  a  razor  in 
a  carpenter-shop. 

Little  Ella  sickened,  and  after  a  brief  illness 
died  on  April  7,  1840.  It  was  a  very  affecting 
occasion ;  Ella  was  almost  idolized  by  the 
whole  family,  especially  by  Mr.  Phelps.  He 
did  not  reach  home  until  after  her  death,  but 
was  in  season  to  look  for  the  last  time  upon 
her  lovely  form.  A  writer  in  the  Central  Ad- 
vocate, many  years  after  little  Ella's  death, 
thus  described  the  mournful  event : 

"  '  I  am  but  young,  yet  I  have  seen 

The  ruin  wrought  where  death  has  been.' 

"Some  twenty  years  have  inscribed  their  changes 
on  the  scroll  of  time,  since  I  was  first  called  to  visit 
the  house  of  mourning,  the  chamber  of  death.  Sad, 
yet  holy,  was  the  scene.  The  grim  angel  had,  in  a 
moment,  clipped  the  unseen  thread  that  bound  the 
spirit  of  little  ELLA  to  these  sinful  shores;  and  there 
she  lay  in  all  the  beautiful  bloom  of  youth,  just  as 
she  was  wont  to  lie  down  at  night  and  sleep,  when 
wear}'  of  her  daily  sports.  Her  eyes,  once  sparkling 
with  the  light  of  precious  intelligence,  were  closed 


130     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

in  death's  long  sleep.  Her  little  hands  were  crossed 
upon  her  breast.  Her  snow-white  feet,  which,  but 
the  day  before  bounded  so/ lightly  along  the  streets, 
lay  side  by  side,  composed  in  death.  An  aged  her- 
ald of  the  cross,  who  has  lately  gone  to  rest,  after 
singing  and  praying,  read  words  of  consolation 
from  the  blessed  Bible,  then  told  us  of  the  heav- 
enly world  and  the  joy  of  meeting  our  loved  ones 
where — 

"Sickness  :md  sorrow,  pain  and  death, 
Are  felt  and  feared  no  more." 

"He  spoke  of  death  and  the  resurrection,  and 
the  glory  that  should  follow.  The  friends  of  the 
departed  then  passed  around  to  look  their  last  upon 
the  lifeless  form  before  them.  Tears  were  shed  and 
sobs  and  sighs  came  forth  from  agonizing  hearts. 
The  mother,  in  the  anguish  of  her  soul,  significantly 
waved  her  hand  as  she  gazed  for  the  last  time  upon 
her  child,  as  if  to  say,  '  Gone  !  gone  !  forever  gone  !' 
All  that  remained  of  lovely  ELLA  was  then  consigned 
to  the  cold  and  narrow  limits  of  the  grave,  there  to 
rest  till  the  trumpet  of  God  shall  wake  the  nations 
under  ground. 

"In  casting  my  eyes  over  the  lights  and  shades 
of  the  dreary  past  there  is  a  peculiar,  beautiful,  and 
immaculate  halo  encircling  that  scene  of  my  early  life. 
Ella's  father  was  an  itinerant  Methodist  preacher, 
and  shortly  after  her  death  he  removed  to  a  distant 
part  of  the  State  ;  but  left  a  memorial  to  indicate 
the  resting-place  of  his  child.  This  has  since  been 
destroyed.  As  often  as  I  visit  old  Union  burying- 
ground,  I  instinctively,  yet  as  vainly,  look  for  some 
traces  of  that  memorial.  But  no  monument,  how- 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  131 

ever  plain,  is  left  to  tell  to  passers  by  that  such  a 
cherub  ever  lived.  It  is  sufficient  though,  for  us  to 
know  that  she  lies  concealed  from  the  storms  that 
blow  over  the  living  so  rudely. 

"The  father  has  since  gone  to  join  his  joyous 
ELLA  in  the  glory  land.  Doubtless,  though  lost  to 
earth,  yet,  as  she  ranges  the  unsullied  fields  of  bliss 
amid  the  angelic  choir  on  high,  God  smiles  upon  the 
sinless  spirit  of  AGNES  ELEANOR  PHELPS.  " 

Long  after  the  death  of  little  Ella,  Thomas 
Johnson  sent  the  parents  a  few  verses  of 
poetry  with  reference  to  their  affliction.  Such 
little  tokens,  at  such  a  time,  are  very  soothing. 
The  reader  will  be  pleased  to  peruse  a  few  of 
these  verses. 

"As  some  fair  bud,  some  opening  flower, 

Just  verging  into  blooming  life, 
Is  torn  by  some  rude  tempest  power, 
And  darkened  'mid  elemental  strife, 

Oh  why  should  such  a  tender  form 

Be  driven  thus  to  swift  decay? 
Why  should  that  heart  no  more  be  warm, 

And  why  that  pulse  forget  to  play? 

Why  thus  has  fled  the  vital  breath 

And  ceased  to  burn  the  inward  flame  ? 

Why  should  those  lips  grow  pale  in  death 
Which  scarce  could  lisp  her  Maker's  name? 

But  cease,  fond  parents,  cease  to  mourn, 
Though  heavy  falls  the  judgment  rod, 

On  seraph's  wings  your  child  is  borne, 
To  dwell  forever  with  its  God. 


132     TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Let  weeping  nature  then  be  still, 
And  tears  of  anguish  cease  to  flow, 

Bow  meekly  to  your  Maker's  will, 
'Twas  He  that  dealt  the  fatal  blow. 

He  saw  that  in  one  fleeting  hour 
Enough  of  pain  and  woe  was  given, 

And  loving  well  your  opening  flower, 
He  took  it  back  to  bloom  in  heaven/' 

On  September  14,  1840,  Mary  Frances 
Phelps  was  born.  A  letter  to  his  father-in- 
law  states  that  he  was  absent  at  the  time ; 

* 

that  she  reminds  him  of  little  Ella,  whom  they 
had  made  too  much  of  an  idol.  A  great  revival 
was  in  progress  at  Mount  Vernon ;  the  house 
was  crowded  each  night,  already  there  had 
been  about  forty  conversions. 

At  one  of  his  quarterly  meetings  held  the 
next  year  Elder  Phelps  baptized  many  children ; 
he  then  presented  his  own  little  Mary  Frances, 
and  she  was  baptized  by  James  Dickens.* 
The  meeting  was  held  in  a  barn.  Oh,  those 
quarterly  meetings  in  barns  were  times  of 
power,  never  to  be  forgotten  !  Camp-meetings 
were  held  each  year  on  his  district  with  great 
success.  At  one  of  these  meetings  a  fearful 
storm  raged  for  hours.  Many  took  refuge 
in  a  school-house  near  by ;  and  whilst  peal 
after  peal  of  deafening  thunder  drowned  the 

*  August,  1841. 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  133 

voices  of  the  worshipers,  John   Maxey  broke 
out  in  tremulous  tones : 

"He  comes,  lie  comes,  the  Judge  severe." 

Trembling  seized  every  listener.  Some 
shouted,  some  cried  for  mercy,  and  many  were 
"born  of  God"  there  that  night. 

At  the  General  Conference  in  Baltimore, 
1840,  Rock  River  Conference  was  set  off,  with 
6,585  members.*  Illinois  Conference  reported 
at  its  next  session  25,122  members.  In  1839 
Henry  Summers  had  traveled  the  entire  State 
of  Iowa  as  a  district.  He  fell  into  the  Rock 
River  Conference;  also  Hooper  Crews,  J.  T. 
Mitchell,  John  Sinclair,  John  Clark,  Philo  Jud- 
son,  Barton  Cartwright,  T.  M.  Kirkpatrick, 
Thomas  S.  Hitt,  Nathan  Jewett,  J.  L.  Kirk- 
patrick, B.  T.  Kavanaugh,  S.  H.  Stocking,  S. 
P.  Keyes,  Milton  Bourn,  and  many  others — 
seventy-five  in  all. 

During  the  quadrennial,  Paxton  Cummings 
had  died,  August  21,  1839,  "in  hope  of  eternal 
life."  He  was  a  remarkable  example  of  per- 
fect love  and  entire  sanctifi  cation. f  James 
Harsha  died  on  the  2Oth  of  March,  1839,  in 
full  prospect  of  a  blissful  immortality.  Spencer 


*  So   says  Cartvvriglit's  Autobiography.     The  Minutes  re- 
port 6,593. 

fSee  Obituary,  General  Minutes,  vol.  3,  p:ige  53. 


134      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Hunter  died,  October  18,  1838,  shouting, 
"Victory!"  The  time  of  William  Cundiff's 
decease  is  not  given.  He  professed  sanctifi- 
cation  at  an  early  age.  His  sight  failed  him 
before  he  departed,  but  by  faith  he  saw  a 
world  of  joy  awaiting  him.  Peter  Borein  died 
at  the  early  age  of  twenty-nine,  a  martyr  to 
hard  work.  His  labors  in  Chicago  can  not 
be  forgotten.  As  a  speaker  he  held  the  high- 
est rank.  His  death  was  peaceful.  Peace  to 
his  ashes.  George  Smith  traveled  two  years, 
was  ordained,  and  went  to  his  new  work  in 
Princeton ;  sickened,  and  died  in  peace.  John 
Dew  died  December  5,  1840.  Kind,  affection- 
ate, honest,  talented,  he  commended  the  relig- 
ion he  professed.  He  was  sick  but  two  weeks, 
then  taken  home.  Joshua  Barnes  died  on 
Stanton  Circuit,  November  19,  1839,  in  great 
peace,  'at  the  age  of  sixty -four.  David  B. 
Carter  went  home  in  great  peace  on  the  28th 
day  of  October,  1840.  John  E.  French  died 
near  Carlisle,  February  3,  1841.  Samuel  H. 
Thompson,  after  spending  twenty-seven  years 
in  the  ministry,  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  Kentucky, 
Missouri,  and  Illinois,  died  on  the  igth  day  of 
March,  1840,  at  peace  with  all  men,  giving  the 
most  triumphant  manifestations  of  the  approval 
of  his  Master. 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  135 

"NEAR  UNITY,  ILL.,  February  14,  1842. 

"My  DEAR  CHARLOTTE, — In  the  midst  of  much 
company  and  conversation,  I  sit  down  to  drop  you  a 
line.  Our  quarterly -meeting  for  Jonesboro  Circuit 
cjosed  last  night.  It  was  a  meeting  of  some  interest, 
though  held  in  almost  the  darkest  corner  of  my  dis- 
trict. Intellectual  and  moraf  night  still  broods  over 
the  mass  of  inhabitants.  Times,  in  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view,  have  never  been  so  hard  here  as  they  are 
now;  the  distress  is  great  among  all  classes  of  the 
community.  Money  is  almost  out  of  the  question, 
for  the  preachers  or  any  one  else.  Unless  we  take 
our  quarterage  in  coon-skins,  it  seems  to  me  that 
our  prospects  are  poor  for  a  comfortable  living, 

"Brother  M'Murty  is  married;  he  was  married 
the  Tuesday  previous  to  his  quarterly-meeting.  He 
had  intended  to  have  me  to  solemnize  the  rites;  but 
the  brother  of  his  wife  endeavored  to  defeat  the 
match,  and  that  caused  them  to  hasten  it  a  few  days. 
He  married  a  Miss  Hill,  in  Brownsville,  a  prudent 
and  fine  girl,  I  think. 

"  I  have  preached  once  everyday  since  I  left  home, 
except  one,  and  sometimes  twice  a  day.  I  preach 
to  night  again,  to-morrow  night,  and  so  on.  Part  of 
the  time  since  I  left  home  my  health  has  been  worse, 
but  in  the  main  about  as  it  was  before  I  left.  My 
mind  was  greatly  troubled  for  one  or  two  clays,  but 
since  it  has  not  been  disturbed. 

"Brother  Don  Carlos  is  as  fat  as  a  hog,  and  in 
fine  spirits.  He  is  going  with  me  to  Golconda. 

"This  has  been  a  Winter  of  great  mortality  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  Winter  fever  has  been 


1 36      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

very  prevalent  and  fatal.  Those  earthquakes  have 
been  worse  here  than  they  were  with  us.  It  is  onl)' 
about  fifty  miles  from  this  place  to  New  Madrid, 
which  was  sunk  by  the  earthquakes  many  years 
ago.  I  think  it  is  likely  that  this  region  of  country 
may  yet  be  destroyed  in  that  way  at  some  future  time. 

"My  eyes  are  very*  sore,  particularly  my  right 
eye  ;  I  can  scarcely  see  out  of  it  at  all  at  night.  My 
horse  is  quite  lame,  and  has  been  so  for  nearly  a 
week.  Nobody  can  tell  what  is  the  matter  with 
him;  and  what  will  be  the  result  I  can  not  tell.  I 
need  not  inform  you  that  I  have  been  unfortunate 
with  horses.  If  Jack  should  fail  I  expect  to  ride  over 
the  district  on  foot  till  Conference,  rather  than  to  ask 
the  brethren  here  to  furnish  another. 

"I  hope  I  have  an  interest  in  your  prayers,  and 
I  can  assure  you  that  you  and  my  dear  children  have 
in  mine  every  day;  and  it  affords  me  much  gratifica- 
tion and  comfort  to  invoke  Heaven's  blessing  on  my 
dear  family  morning  and  evening,  though  far  dis- 
tant from  them.  Take  care  of  my  babes.  Excuse 
my  haste. 

"Yours,  in  the  strong  bonds  of  affection, 

"A.  E.  PHELPS." 

In  the  discharge  of  his  duties  as  a  presid- 
ing elder  he  saw  the  absolute  importance  of 
the  "call"  to  the  ministry,  and  the  necessity 
for  a  better  support  of  those  called.  He  pre- 
pared and  delivered  the  following  sermon  on 
the  subject : 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  137 

A  SERMON  ON  THE  CALL  AND  SUPPORT  OF  MINISTRY. 

"  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  will 
send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest." — MATT,  ix,  38. 

While  the  blessed  Savior  was  engaged  in 
the  course  of  his  personal  ministry  on  earth 
he  demonstrated  the  divinity  of  his  person  and 
mission  by  repeated  and  notable  miracles. 
With  a  word  or  touch  he  healed  the  sick, 
cleansed  the  leprous,  restored  the  palsied,  re- 
buked malignant  fevers,  dislodged  devils  from 
the  souls  of  men,  and  relieved  the  demoniac. 
And  thus  his  ministrations,  together  with  the 
demonstrations  he  afforded  by  his  miracles, 
showing  that  he  was  the  promised  Messiah, 
drew  around  him  vast  multitudes  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel,  who  were  panting  for  deliver- 
ance from  Roman  vassalage.  Says  the  evan- 
gelist: "But  when  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he 
was  moved  with  compassion  on  them,  because 
they  fainted,  and  were  scattered  abroad,  as 
sheep  having  no  shepherd.  Then  saith  he 
unto  his  disciples,  The  harvest  truly  is  plente- 
ous, but  the  laborers  are  few ;  pray  ye  there- 
fore the  Lord  of  the  harvest,"  etc. 

Our  text  teaches  us  that  laborers  in  the 
harvest  of  the  Lord  are  chosen  and  thrust  out 
by  God  himself.  The  Church,  on  her  part, 


138      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

where  there  is  a  scarcity  of  laborers,  should 
pray  the  Lord  to  call  and  send  forth  addi- 
tional ones  'unto  her  service  ;  but  she  should 
remember  that  whenever  she  undertakes  to 
select  men  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  until 
God  has  chosen  or  called  them  to  that  work, 
she  assumes  a  prerogative  and  authority  which 
God  has  never  given  her.  That  God  has  re- 
served to  himself  the  exclusive  privilege  of 
selecting  laborers  for  his  vineyard,  or  calling 
men  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  seems  clear, 
from  the  Scriptures  of  divine  truth  through- 
out. That  such  was  the  economy  of  God,  from 
the  time  revealed  religion  was  introduced  into 
our  world  down  to  the  commencement  of  the 
Gospel  dispensation,  can  not  be  successfully 
denied.  In  the  patriarchal  age  the  head  of 
each  family  was  the  priest  for  his  own  house- 
hold. Such  were  Methuselah,  Enoch,  Noah, 
Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob.  They  not  only  offered 
prayer  and  sacrifice  to  God  for  their  families, 
but  also  instructed  them  in  those  great  truths 
of  religion  which  had  been  revealed  from 
heaven.  In  this  capacity  they  acted,  it  seems, 
by  divine  appointment,  and  under  divine  appro- 
bation. Under  the  Mosaic  age,  or  legal  dis- 
pensation, the  officiating  priest  received  his 
appointment  directly  from  God ;  and  none  ever 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  139 

assumed  the  fearful  responsibility  of  attempting 
to  thrust  themselves  into  the  sacred  office  but 
Korah,  Dathan,  and  Abiram,  whose  temerity 
and  rashness  were  severely  rebuked  by  God 
in  their  fearful  and  miraculous  destruction. 

None,  I  presume,  will  deny  that  the  sacred 
office  was  filled  by  divine  appointment  through 
all  past  ages,  down  to  the  advent  of  Christ. 
And  as  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  Testament 
abundantly  teach  us  that  religion  was  propa- 
gated and  taught  to  the  people,  from  the  time  it 
was  first  revealed  from  heaven  to  the  full  open- 
ing up  of  the  Gospel  dispensation,  by  an  order 
of  men  called  and  thrust  into  the  work  by  God 
himself,  it  affords  a  strong  presumption  in  favor 
of  a  divine  and  special  call  to  the  office  and 
work  of  the  ministry  under  the  Gospel  dispen- 
sation. This  presumption  is  greatly  strength- 
ened by  the  considerations  that  under  this  dis- 
pensation ordinances  and  sacraments  were  to 
be  administered,  the  science  of  religion  was  to 
be  taught  to  the  successive  generations  of  men, 
and  the  nations  of  the  earth  were  to  be  disci- 
pled  to  Christ.  This  required  the  unceasing 
and  indefatigable  labors  of  a  Christian  minis- 
try whose  time  and  attention  should  be  exclu- 
sively devoted  to  the  duties  of  their  high  call- 
ing. Hence  it  is  clear  that  the  sacred  office 


140      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

was  designed  to  be  perpetuated  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church  to  the  latest  age;  and,  if  so,  the 
conclusion  is  almost  inevitable  that  the  sacred 
or  ministerial  office  should  be  filled  by  men 
called  to  the  work  by  the  Lord  of  the  harvest. 
Thus,  were  the  New  Testament  Scriptures  en- 
tirely silent  on  this  subject,  the  evidence  af- 
forded by  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  would 
be  conclusive  in  proof  of  a  direct  call  to  the 
Christian  ministry.  For  what  was  God's  econ- 
omy under  the  patriarchal  and  Mosaic  ages 
we  may  safely  conclude  is  his  economy  still, 
if  we  have  no  evidence  to  the  contrary.  And 
if  God  has  surrendered  the  prerogative  of  call- 
ing men  to  the  sacred  office  under  the  Gospel 
dispensation,  he  has  certainly  never  revealed 
it.  The  interests  of  religion,  the  success  of 
the  Gospel,  and  the  moral  condition  of  the 
world,  certainly  as  greatly  need  ministers  and 
teachers  of  God's  own  calling  as  in  any  former 
period  of  the  Church's  history.  These  con- 
siderations afford  many  strong  presumptions 
in  favor  of  a  special  call  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 

But  let  us  now  examine  the  New  Testa- 
ment, and  see  if  it  does  not  afford  evidence  on 
this  subject  as  well  as  the  Old  Testament. 
That  the  apostles  were  called  of  Christ,  and 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  141 

sent  forth  into  the  great  work  of  discipling 
the  nations,  none  will  deny.  But  probably  it 
will  be  contended  that  they  were  an  extraordi- 
nary order  of  ministers,  and  had  no  regular 
successors  in  the  same  order.  This  is  admit- 
ted, but  it  makes  nothing  against  the  call  of 
ordinary  ministers ;  for  the  regular  order  of  the 
ministry  was  as  much  needed  in  the  great 
work  of  saving  sinners  as  the  apostolic  order, 
and  therefore  the  call  of  the  one  was  as  nec- 
essary as  that  of  the  other.  It  is  not  claimed 
that  those  who  succeeded  the  apostles  in  the 
ministry  were  inspired  as  were  they ;  but  this 
is  no  evidence  that  they  were  not  called  to  the 
work.  The  apostle,  when  writing  to  the  Ephe- 
sians,  fourth  chapter,  eleventh  verse,  says : 
"And  he  gave  some,  apostles;  and  some, 
prophets ;  and  some,  evangelists ;  and  some, 
pastors  and  teachers ;  for  the  perfecting  of  the 
saints,  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  for  the 
edifying  of  the  body  of  Christ."  Here  the 
apostle  tells  us  that  evangelists,  pastors,  and 
teachers  are  as  really  given  to  the  Church  by 
Christ  as  apostles  and  prophets  ;  and,  as  none 
will  doubt  that  the  latter  received-  a  direct  and 
special  call  to  their  respective  offices,  it  follows 
that  the  former,  pastors  and  teachers,  who 
constitute  the  regular  orders  of  the  Christian 


142      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ministry,  were  also  called.  As  apostles,  pas- 
tors, and  teachers  are  all  equally  the  orders 
of  divine  appointment,  no  reason  can  be  as- 
signed why  one  of  these  orders  should  not  be 
called  of  God  as  well  as  another.  Therefore, 
if  this  passage  stood  alone  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment, it  would  sustain  a  divine  call  to  the 
ministerial  office.  In  the  epistle  to  the  Romans 
we  have  this  passage :  "  And  how  shall  they 
preach  except  they  be  sent?"  This  Scripture 
clearly  recognizes  a  call  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 

The  manner  in  which  preachers  were  sent 
in  those  times  is  set  forth  in  Acts  xiii,  2,  3. 
The  Holy  Ghost  said  to  the  Church,  or  to  the 
prophets  and  teachers  of  the  Church  at  Anti- 
och:  "Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the 
work  whereunto  I  have  called  them.  And 
when  they  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  laid 
their  hands  on  them,  they  sent  them  away." 
Thus  we  learn  that  the  Holy  Ghost  first  calls 
men  to  the  work:  "Separate  me  Barnabas  and 
Saul  for  the  work  whereunto  I  have  called 
them."  The  Church,  on  her  part,  ordains 
them  by  the  imposition  of  hands,  and  sepa- 
rates them  to  the  work,  sends  them  forth  or 
appoints  them  to  their  respective  fields  of 
labor.  But  should  she  separate  men  to  the 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  143 

work,  or  send  them  forth,  whom  the  Holy 
Ghost  has  not  called,  she  would  assume  a 
fearful  responsibility. 

Paul,  in  his  valedictory  address  to  the  elders 
of  the  Church  at  Ephesus  (Acts  xx,  28),  says : 
"Take  heed  therefore  unto  yourselves,  and  to 
all  the  flock  over  which  the  Holy  Ghost  hath 
made  you  overseers."  Although  the  apostle 
ordained  these  elders  to  the  ministerial  office 
himself,  yet  he  recognizes  their  call  to  the 
work  as  of  God.  Paul,  in  speaking  of  the 
sacred  or  ministerial  office  in  general,  says, 
"And  no  man  taketh  this  honor  unto  himself 
but  he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron." 
(Hebrews  v,~4.)  Here  the  apostle  lays  it  down 
as  a  principle  or  truth,  universally  recognized 
in  the  Church,  that  no  person,  without  pro- 
fane assumption,  could  enter  the  ministerial 
office  unless  directly  called  of  God,  "as  was 
Aaron."  Thus  these  Scriptures  seem  clearly 
to  sustain  the  doctrine  of  a  direct  call  to  the 
office  and  work  of  the  ministry. 

To  this  doctrine  our  Church  has  held  ever 
since  her  organization,  and  her  practice  has 
been  in  conformity  to  her  faith.  They  lay 
hands  suddenly  upon  no  man.  She  ordains 
none  until  they  afford  evidence  of  a  divine  call 
to  the  work.  The  very  first  question  asked 


144      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY.    . 

of  those  who  are  presented  for  ordination  is, 
"  Do  you  trust  that  you  are  inwardly  moved 
by  the  Holy  Ghost  to  take  upon  you  the  office 
of  the  ministry  in  the  Church  of  Christ?"  and 
none  would  be  ordained  who  could  not  return 
an  affirmative  answer  to  this  question.  Nor 
could  any  be  ordained  till  they  have  made  a 
"full  proof  of  their  ministry."  The  itinerant 
is  placed  on  trial  for  two  years,  and  the  local 
preacher  for  four  years,  before  they  are  or- 
dained. This  time  is  supposed  sufficient  to 
enable  them  to  afford  demonstrations  of  their 
call  to  the  work ;  and  if  they  then  fail  to  do 
this  they  are  laid  aside. 

But  it  is  objected  to  this  that  the  Method- 
ist Church  examines  into  the  qualifications  of 
those  who  apply  for  license,  and  frequently 
withholds  licenses  from  those  who  claim  to 
have  been  called  to  the  work ;  and  this  it  is 
urged  she  has  no  authority  to  do  if  she  admit 
the  doctrine  of  a  divine  and  special  call.  In 
reply  to  this  we  remark  that,  did  the  Church 
bestow  license  upon  all  who  claim  to  have  a 
call  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  she  would 
license  many  impostors,  and  many  that  are 
themselves  deceived,  and  are  consequently  un- 
qualified to  minister  in  holy  things  to  profit. 
Although  we  believe  in  a  call  to  the  ministry, 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  145 

we  believe  also  that  those  who  are  called  can 
afford  some  evidence  of  the  fact.  We  believe 
that  God  calls  no  man  of  questionable  moral 
character  to  the  sacred  office,  or  those  who 
possess  no  qualifications  for  the  work.  And 
therefore,  when  such  men  propose  themselves 
as  candidates  for  the  ministry,  the  Church 
should  refuse  to  license  them ;  and  did  she 
do  otherwise  she  would  at  once  prostrate  her 
sanctity  and  dignity.  Hence  the  practice  of 
our  Church  on  this  subject  is  perfectly  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  doctrine  of  Scripture,  and 
consistent  with  her  own  faith  in  a  divine  call 
to  the  work.  No  man  should  attempt  to  enter 
the  sacred  office  until  he  is  convinced  that  he 
is  a  chosen  vessel  of  God,  to  preach  the  un- 
searchable riches  of  Christ  among  the  Gen- 
tiles ;  and  it  should  be  a  subject  of  careful  and 
mature  consideration  and  prayer. 

So  weighty  and  fearful  are  the  responsibil- 
ities of  the  ministerial  office,  that  no  man 
should  attempt  hastily  or  rashly  to  assume  it. 
But  after  he  has  employed  every  means  to 
learn  his  duty  on  this  subject,  if  he  have  a 
clear  conviction  of  mind  that  God  has  com- 
mitted to  him  a  dispensation  of  the  Gospel, 
he  should  remember  that  "woe  is  to  him  if  he 
preach  not  the  Gospel."  He  should  not  confer 

13 


146      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

with  "flesh  and  blood."  Under  a  trembling 
sense  of  his  own  insufficiency,  he  should  throw 
himself  at  once  into  the  work,  or  offer  himself 
to  the  Church,  with  an  humble  and  firm  de- 
pendence upon  his  God  for  the  anointing  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  for  divine  wisdom  to  qual- 
ify for  usefulness  in  his  work. 

But  while  the  minister  of  God,  thus  called 
to  the  work,  should  devote  himself  with  activ- 
ity and  diligence  to  prayer  and  to  the  minis- 
try of  the  Word,  the  Church,  on  her  part, 
should  remember  the  fearful  responsibility 
which  rests  upon  her  to  sustain  those  whom 
God  has  called  to  this  work.  That  it  is  the 
duty  of  the  Church  to  sustain  her  ministry, 
who  devote  all  their  time  and  attention  to  her 
service,  I  presume  none  will  deny.  The  Scrip- 
tures of  divine  truth  leave  no  room  for  specu- 
lation on  this  subject.  Under  this  Jewish  dis- 
pensation, the  law  of  God  not  only  provides 
for  the  support  of  the  priests,  but  deter- 
mined the  precise  proportion  each  one  was 
ot  contribute.  .  This  matter  was  not  optional 
with  them,  as  it  is  with  us.  They  were  re- 
quired to  give  a  tenth  part  of  their  income, — 
one-tenth  of  all  the  proceeds  of  their  labor 
and  the  produce  of  their  lands.  Besides  this, 
houses  and  cities  were  built  for  their  accom- 


MOUNT  VERNON  DISTRICT.  147 

modation  at  public  expense.  No  less  than 
forty -eight  cities  were  devoted  to  the  special 
use  of  priests  and  Levites.  In  addition  to  the 
cities  erected  for  their  occupancy,  and  the 
regular  tithes,  they  shared  a  certain  part  of 
all  the  sacrifices  offered.  The  first  fruits  of 
the  land  and  of  the  flock  were  dedicated  to 
the  Lord,  and  became  the  inheritance  of  the 
priests.  Thus  the  law  of  God  made  ample 
provision  for  the  support  of  the  priest  under 
that  dispensation. 


CHAPTER  SIXTH. 

SECOND  TERM  IN  THE  ELDERSHIP— PEORIA  DISTRICT. 

Conference  at  Winchester — Ministers  Received  on  Trial — 
Appointed  to  Peoria  District — Low  State  of  the  Church — Dis- 
cussion will)  Universalist  Ministers — Missionary  Collection  at 
Wyoming — Conference  Session  at  Quincy — Bishop  Andrew — 
Delegates  to  the  General  Conference — Newton  Berrynian 
Near  Canton — S.  P.  Burr  and  A.  E.  Phelps  at  Hendersonville — 
Sermon  at  Victoria  in  May,  1843 — Appointed  to  Washington 
District — List  of "  Presiding  Elders — Prominent  Pastors — Illi- 
nois Conference — Leading  Ministers — Peter  Cartwright — John 
Van  Cleve — John  S.  Barger — Wilson  Pitner — Hardin  Wal- 
lace— W.  D.  R.  Trotter — Addison  Goddnrd — Suffered  from  a 
Cnrbuncle — Quarterly  Meeting  at  Toulon — Debate  with  Latter 
Day  Saints — A  Mormon  Lawyer  Silenced — Smith's  Arrest — 
Shot  by  a  Mob — An  Obituary — Rev.  Joseph  Mitchell — Death 
of  His  Babe — Lost  His  Way — Camp-meeting  on  Lafayette  Cir- 
cuit— Annual  Conference  at  Peoria — Anecdote  of  Francis 
Smith — Decease  of  William  Brown — Debate  with  Rev.  W. 
Davenport — Success  in  Securing  Subscribers  for  the  Western 
Christian  Advocate. 

THE  Conference  met  at  Winchester,  Sep- 
tember   15,    1842.     Seventeen  were   re- 
ceived.    L.  B.  Dennis  and  David  Oliver  were 
of  the   number.     Freeborn    Haney   and  Will- 
iam J.  Rutledge  were  of  a  class  of  nine  in  the 
year   1841.     A.   E.   Phelps    was   appointed   to 
the    Peoria    District.     Chauncey    Hobart   was 
148 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  149 

pastor  at  Peoria.  William  C.  Cummings  was 
on  Peoria  Circuit,  Samuel  P.  Burr  on  Mercer 
Circuit,  William  M.  Clark  was  at  Lafayette, 
William  Royal  at  Monmouth,  Warner  Oliver 
at  Pekin,  George  Whitman  at  Washington, 
and  John  C.  Pinckard  at  Lacon.  This  was  a 
long  move  for  Mr.  Phelps.  He  resided  in 
Washington,  in  his  own  house.  There  Joseph 
W.  Phelps*  was  born,  December  22,  1842. 

The  Church  was  in  a  low  state.  A  Uni- 
versalist  from  the  East  came  to  Peoria  and 
preached  a  series  of  sermons.  His  name  was 
Chase.  The  reader  must  not  confound  him 
with  Rev.  S.  W.  D.  Chase.  On  one  occasion 
Mr.  Phelps  was  called  upon  to  close  the  meet- 
ing with  prayer ;  he  consented,  and  prayed 
with  ardor  for  the  conversion  and  final  salva- 
tion of  the  speaker,  who  was  so  thoroughly 
provoked,  that  he  arose  and  challenged  Mr. 
Phelps  to  a  public  discussion  of  the  questions 
at  issue.  The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  in 
a  few  days  the  debate  proceeded.  It  was 
a  time  of  great  interest.  The  doctrines  of 
Hosea  Ballou  were  then  very  popular  in  the 
West.  Such  a  doctrine  always  thrives,  when 
genuine  Christianity  has  but  little  hold  on 
the  masses.  This  discussion  put  Universal- 

*  Now  of  Rock  River  Conference. 


150     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ists  on  the  defensive  and  its  champion  to  the 
test.  His  arguments  were  utterly  annihilated, 
and,  becoming  excited,  he  accused  the  Mode- 
rators of  allowing  Mr.  Phelps  to  overrun  his 
time.  The  latter  retorted  pleasantly,  "  Why, 
brother,  your  watch  must  run  on  wheels." 
Either  misunderstanding  his  statement  or  ut- 
terly confused,  he  quickly  replied,  "  No  it 
doesn't."  The  bursts  of  laughter  that  fol- 
lowed only  increased  the  poor  man's  confusion. 
It  was  a  •  glorious  triumph  for  the  cause  of 
truth.*  Mr.  Chase  was  completely  disheart- 
ened, and  soon  left  the  country. 

He  threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  work  of 
the  Church  on  his  district.  At  a  meeting  at 
Wyoming  he  took  a  very  large  missionary  col- 
lection. One  man  pledged  himself  to  give 
twenty  dollars  per  annum  during  his  lifetime. 

On  the  3d  of  May,  1843,  the  True  Wes- 
leyan  Church  was  organized.  It  found  some 
warm  adherents  in  the  West. 

The  Conference  met  at  Quincy,  Illinois ; 
twenty-three  were  received  on  trial,  including 
Samuel  Smith,  Francis  Smith,  Hiram  Buck, 
Sampson  Shinn,  and  W.  Milburn.  Z.  Hall 
was  the  preacher  at  Washington,  Richard 
Haney  was  at  Peoria,  S.  P.  Burr  and  Francis 

*S.  R.  Beggs. 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  151 

Smith*  were  sent  to  Mercer.  A  German  mis- 
sion was  organized  in  the  Washington  District 
this  year.  S.  R.  Beggs  was  transferred  to 
Rock  River  Conference.  John  Morey,  who 
had  been  received  by  transfer  at  a  former 
Conference,  was  preacher-in-charge  at  Canton. 

During  this  conference  year  the  General 
Conference  convened  in  New  York,  May,  1844. 
The  case  of  Bishop  Andrew,  who  had  become 
a  slaveholder  by  marriage,  came  up  for  adjust- 
ment. The  excitement  was  intense.  Peter 
Akers,  J.  Van  Cleve,  J.  Stamper,  Newton  G. 
Berryman,  and  Peter  Cartwright  were  the 
delegates  from  the  Illinois  Conference.  N.  G. 
Berryman  and  J.  Stamper  voted  with  the  dele- 
gates from  the  South. 

Mr.  Berryman  was  a  man  of  much  power. 
After  the  organization  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  South  he  became  an  active 
member  of  it.  It  is  said  that  during  his 
eldership  on  the  Knoxville  District,  at  a  camp- 
meeting  held  near  Canton,  whilst  William  M. 
Clark  was  preaching  with  marked  effect,  a 
storm  was  about  to  break  forth  in  wild  fury. 
Some  arose  to  go  as  the  rain  began  to  fall. 
Elder  Berryman  arose,  walked  to  the  front  of 

*TIie  writer  first  heard  Francis  Smith  preach  in  his 
father's  house  on  this  circuit. 


1 52      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the   pulpit,  threw  his  hands  heavenward,  and 
said,    "My  Lord,   stay  the   storm!"   told   the     . 
people  to  be  seated,  and  the  cloud  parted  and 
passed  on  each  side  of  the  encampment. 

The  excitement  on  the  question  of  slavery 
frequently  occasioned  disputes  among  Church 
members.  At  a  quarterly-meeting  held  at 
Hendersonville,  the  question  was  asked  of  S. 
P.  Burr,  "Would  you  harbor  a  slave  who  had 
escaped  from  his  master?"  He  answered, 
"Yes,  I  would!"  Elder  Phelps  said,  "That's 
right,  brother  Burr ;  the  Bible  commands  you 
to  feed  the  hungry  and  clothe  the  naked." 

Mr.  Phelps  preached  a  sermon  at  Victoria 
in  Knox  County,  Illinois,  in  May,  1843,  from 
Acts  xvii,  28:  "For  in  him  we  live  and  move 
and  have  our  being."  He  said  : 

These  words  form  a  part  of  a  sermon 
preached  by  the  great  apostle  of  the  Gentiles 
at  Athens.  Though  Athens  was  the  seat  of 
learning  in  the  Old  World,  the  parent  of  classic 
literature,  the  source  whence  the  light  of 
science  radiated  in  every  direction,  it  was  no 
less  devoted  to  idolatry  and  sunk  in  the  gross- 
est superstition.  In  addition  to  her  thirty 
thousand  gods  whom  she  set  forth  as  objects 
of  divine  worship,  she  had  an  altar  erected  in 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  153 

a  public  part  of  the  city  to  the  "Unknown 
God." 

The  inscription  on  this  altar  the  apostle 
took  as  his  text,  and  from  it  he  preached  to 
them  the  doctrine  of  the  true  God,  whom  they 
ignorantly  worshiped.  This  God  he  set  forth 
as  the  creator  and  preserver  of  all  things. 
"For  in  him  we  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being."  Here  the  apostle  asserts  the  doctrine 
of  Divine  Providence,  that  all  nature,  animate 
and  inanimate,  is  perpetuated  and  sustained 
by  God.  And  from  this  text  I  shall  attempt 
to  preach  a  sermon  on  the  doctrine  of  a  gen- 
eral and  particular  providence. 

Who  can  calmly  and  soberly  contemplate 
the  works  of  nature  as  they  exist,  with  the 
complex  and  multifarious,  and  yet  regular  and 
harmonious,  motions  and  operations  of  the 
whole  machinery,  without  being  impressed  with 
the  sentiment  that  the  providence  of  God  con- 
trols, regulates,  governs,  and  superintends  the 
whole  system. 

There  are  no  less  than  sixteen  primary 
planets  and  some  eighteen  or  twenty  second- 
ary planets  that  revolve  around  our  sun, 
constituting  what  is  called  the  solar  system. 
Our  earth  by  her  diurnal  and  annual  revo- 
lution travels  no  less  than  seventy  thousand 


154     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

miles  an  hour.  What  power  short  of  the  om- 
nipotent fiat  of  Jehovah  is  sufficient  to  propel 
such  vast  masses  of  matter  at  such  a  velocity 
and  preserve  regularity  and  harmony  in  the 
whole  system  ? 

It  will  avail  nothing  to  say  that  the  whole 
is  governed  by  the  laws  of  nature.  The  laws 
of  nature  themselves,  apart  from  Divine  Provi- 
dence, are  as  inactive  and  powerless  as  any 
part  of  inanimate  nature ;  the  laws  of  nature 
are  only  the  uniform  methods  by  which  God 
operates  upon  nature. 

In  addition  to  the  solar  system  there  are 
about  one  hundred  millions  of  fixed  stars, 
around  each  of  which,  most  probably,  a  system 
of  worlds  revolves,  perhaps  as  large  and  nu- 
merous as  those  of  our  own  system.  Who, 
then,  can  look  at  the  vast  system  of  nature, 
with  her  millions  of  worlds  and  systems  of 
worlds  revolving  through  boundless  space  with 
the  most  perfect  order  and  harmony,  preserved 
from  age  to  age  through  the  whole  machinery, 
without  being  compelled  to  acknowledge  the 
providence  of  God  in  the  whole  matter  ?  The 
contemplation  of  this  subject  forced  from  the 
Psalmist  the  expression,  "When  I  consider 
thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers,  the 
moon  and  the  stars  which  thou  hast  ordained ; 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  155 

what  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 
and  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him?" 
(Psalm  viii,  3,  4.) 

The  providence  of  God  over  all  the  works 
of  nature  is  clearly  taught  by  the  apostle  in 
the  epistle  to  the  Colossians,  first  chapter, 
seventeenth  verse,  "And  he  is  before  all  things, 
and  by  him  all  things  consist." 

But  descend  from  the  general  system  of 
nature  to  some  of  its  particular  operations 
connected  with  the  interests  of  man,  and  we 
will  find  the  particular  providence  of  God 
equally  manifested.  Look,  for  instance,  at  the 
phenomena  of  rain,  lightning,  storms,  and  tem- 
pests. The  philosopher  will  probably  tell  us 
that  all  this  is  attributable  to  natural  causes, 
to  the  action  of  the  laws  of  nature,  or  to  the 
natural  power  of  the  various  agents  of  nature. 
They  would  tell  us,  by  the  action  of  the  sun 
water  upon  the  earth's  surface  becomes  decom- 
posed, separated  into  fine  particles,  and  thence 
ascends  into  the  regions  of  air  above  us,  and 
forms  vapors,  and  then  becomes  condensed 
into  fine  particles  or  drops,  and  descends  in 
refreshing  showers  of  rain  to  fertilize  and  re- 
fresh the  earth.  Thus  Divine  Providence  is 
excluded,  and  blind  nature  is  left  to  manage 
her  own  interests  and  the  interests  of  man. 


156      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

But  what  say  the  Scriptures  on  the  subject? 
They  attribute  the  whole  to  the  special  provi- 
dence of  God.  Deuteronomy  xi,  14:  "That 
I  will  give  you  the  rain  of  your  land  in  his  due 
season,  the  first  rain,  and  the  latter  rain,  that 
thou  mayest  gather  in  thy  corn,  and  thy  wine, 
and  thine  oil."  Again  (Deuteronomy  xxvii, 
12):  "The  Lord  shall  open  unto  thee  his  good 
treasure,  the  heaven  to  give  the  rain  unto  thy 
land  in  his  season,  and  to  bless  all  the  work 
of  thine  hand."  Psalm  cxxxv,  6,  7:  "What- 
soever the  Lord  pleased,  that  did  he  in  heaven, 
and  in  earth,  in  the  seas,  and  all  deep  places. 
He  causeth  the  vapors  to  ascend  from  the 
ends  of  the  earth ;  he  maketh  lightnings  for 
the  rain ;  he  bringeth  the  wind  out  of  his  treas- 
uries." Psalm  cxlviii,  8:  "Fire,  and  hail; 
snow,  and  vapor;  stormy  wind  fulfilling  his 
word."  Says  the  prophet  Amos  (fourth  chap- 
ter, seventh  verse):  "And  also  I  have  with- 
holden  the  rain  from  you,  when  there  were  yet 
three  months  to  the  harvest :  and  I  caused  it 
to  rain  upon  one  city,  and  caused  it  not  to  rain 
upon  another  city:  one  piece  was  rained  upon, 
and  the  piece  whereupon  it  rained  not  with- 
ered." In  Matthew,  fifth  chapter,  forty -fifth 
verse:  "For  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the 
evil  and  on 'the  good;  and  sendeth  rain  on  the 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  157 

just  and  on  the  unjust."  It  is  useless  to  mul- 
tiply quotations  on  this  subject.  Many  more 
might  be  adduced,  if  necessary.  In  short,  the 
Scriptures  every-where  attribute  all  these  op- 
erations of  nature  to  the  providence  of  God. 

Though  these  are  effects  of  natural  causes, 
and  of  agents  jthat  are  at  work  in  nature,  yet 
these  natural  causes  and  agents  are  all  under 
the  control  of  Providence.  But  perhaps  some 
are  ready  to  admit  that  the  providence  of  God 
is  exercised  over  inanimate  nature,  and  at  the 
same  time  deny  his  providence  over  the  moral 
world.  This  subject  will  now  claim  some  at- 
tention. And,  first,  that  his  providence  is  ex- 
ercised over  the  nations  of  the  earth  is  most 
clearly  revealed  in  the  sacred  oracles.  That 
the  rise  and  fall  of  empires,  the  establishment, 
the  growth,  and  final  overthrow  of  kingdoms, 
are  represented  in  the  Scriptures  as  all  under 
the  control  of  Divine  Providence,  no  attentive 
reader  of  the  Scriptures  will  deny.  In  proof 
of  this  read  the  twenty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah, 
where  utter  desolation  is  threatened  to  Tyre 
by  the  Most  High:  "The  burden  of  Tyre. 
Howl,  ye  ships  of  Tarshish ;  for  it  is  laid 
waste,  so  that  there  is  no  house,  no  entering 
in :  from  the  land  of  Chittim  it  is  revealed  tc 
them."  (Verse  i.)  Again  (8,  9):  "Who  hath 


158      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

taken  this  counsel  against  Tyre?  .  .  .  The 
Lord  of  hosts  hath  purposed  it,  to  stain  the 
pride  of  all  glory,  and  to  bring  into  contempt 
all  the  honorable  of  the  earth."  Here  the 
complete  overthrow  of  the  beautiful  city,  the 
wealthy  and  luxuriant  city  of  Tyre,  is  threat- 
ened by  Jehovah  himself,  and  was  soon  after 
executed. 

I  might  now  refer  you  to  the  prophecies  of 
Isaiah  and  Jeremiah  concerning  the  desolation 
of  Babylon,  Assyria,  Egypt,  and  the  other 
neighboring  nations  whose  crimes  called  for 
the  vengeance  of  heaven  to  be  poured  upon 
them.  Babylon,  the  proud  queen  of  the  old 
world,  was  to  be  left  without  an  inhabitant, 
and  Egypt  was  to  become  the  lowest  of  king- 
doms ;  and  all  was  to  be  accomplished  by  the 
providence  of  God. 

The  enlightened  and  observing  statesman 
might  have  accounted  for  the  decline  and  final 
downfall  of  all  these  kingdoms  and  nations  on 
natural  and  philosophical  principles.  They,  for 
instance,  might  have  attributed— 

The  remainder  of  this  sermon  can  not  be 
found  among  his  papers.  The  broken  column 
of  the  artist  is  a  fit  emblem  of  human  life. 
Our  fullest  hopes  are  seldom  realized ;  our 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  159 

best  work  is  often  destroyed,  or  so  mutilated 
that  it  must  be  represented  by  the  -  — .  The 
Taj  Mahal  is  but  half  done,  although  perhaps 
the  grandest  building  on  the  earth. 

At  the -General  Conference  of  1844  Peoria 
District  was  set  over  into  Rock  River  Confer- 
ence ;  and  at  the  session  of  that  Conference  in 
July,  1844,  Peoria  District  was  divided,  and 
the  Washington  District  was  formed.  Mr. 
Phelps  resided  at  Washington,  and  was  ap- 
pointed to  that  district.  Richard  Haney  was 
appointed  to  the  Peoria  District;  Luke  Hitch- 
cock was  on  the  Ottawa  District;  Hooper 
Crews  was  on  the  Mount  Morris  District;  J. 
R.  Goodrich,  the  Chicago  District;  B.  T.  Kav- 
anaugh,  Plattville  District;  W.  H.  Sampson, 
Green  Bay  Mission  District;  James  Mitchell, 
Milwaukee  District ;  S.  H.  Stocking,  Rock 
River  District.  John  Chandler  was  pastor  at 
Peoria ;  Samuel  Pillsbury  was  at  Macomb ; 
John  Morey,  at  Knoxville;  N.  P.  Heath,  at 
Rockford.  J.  T.  Mitchell  was  Book  Agent  at 
Cincinnati.  Seymour  Stover  was  at  Iroquois; 
Francis  Smith,  at  Crow  Meadow  Mission. 

The  Illinois  Conference  met  September  4, 
1844.  Mr.  Phelps  was  now  in  the  Rock  River 
Conference,  and  hereafter  he  will  not  be  asso- 
ciated with  the  good  old  leaders  of  the  Illinois 


160      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Conference.  Peter  Cartwright  needs  no  de- 
scription ;  his  fame  is  world-wide.  Peter  Akers 
was  a  man  of  fine  personal  appearance,  large, 
robust,  but  genial  and  full  of  sunshine.  In 
those  days  he  was  a  most  powerful  preacher, 
frequently  holding  his  audience  for  three  hours. 
His  work  on  Chronology  will  perpetuate  his 
fame  as  a  writer.  John  Van  Cleve  was  a 
young  man  of  great  promise.  -  John  S.  Barger 
was  a  man  for  the  times.  With  a  voice  like  a 
Boanerges,  and  a  zeal  that  knew  no  abate- 
ment, he  stood  in  his  lot.  And  there  was 
Wilson  Pitner,  fond  of  hunting  and  of  jokes. 
Preaching  once  at  the  Wyoming  Camp-ground, 
in  Stark  County,  he  suddenly  halted  and  said, 
"  Brethren,  that  tree  would  make  good  ax- 
handles."  If  he  saw  a  knot-hole  in  a  log 
whilst  preaching  in  an  old-fashioned  school- 
house  or  private  dwelling,  he  would  pause  and 
deliberately  pull  out  his  pocket-handkerchief 
and  stuff  it  into  it.*  There  were  William  J. 
Rutledge,  James  Hadley,  Harden  Wallace, 
Charles  Holliday,  William  D.  R.  Trotter,  and 
many  other  noble  Methodist  preachers,  with 

*Once,  whilst  in  prayer,  he  cried  out,  "O  Lord,  send  us  a 
shower,  send  us  a  shower,  send  us  a  shower,  if  it  is  only  a 
shower  of  woodpeckers  !" 

Whilst  on  Peoria  Circuit  his  cont  became  so  badly  worn 
that  he  took  a  collection  in  his  own  behalf.  At  Kick;ipoo  he 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  161 

whom  A.  E.  Phelps  would  meet  no  more  in 
annual  conference  session. 

In  April,  1844,  ne  suffered  intensely  from  a 
carbuncle  on  the  back  of  his  neck.  His  quar- 
terly-meeting for  the  Lafayette  Circuit  was  at 
Toulon,  and  notwithstanding  his  affliction  he 
went,  and  .preached  with  great  power. 

In  June  he  held  a  debate  with  a  Mormon 
preacher  by  the  name  of  Savage,  at  Toulon. 
The  Mormons  had  taken  refuge  in  Illinois  in 
1839,  and  were  now  engaged  in  building  a 
grand  temple  at  Nauvoo  —  "Beautiful,"  they 
called  it.  Their  missionaries  had  canvassed 
many  portions  of  Illinois,  and  had  succeeded 
in  converting  a  class-leader  and  others  in  the 
vicinity  of  Toulon.  There  was  much  excite- 
ment on  the  Mormon  question  at  the  time, 
and  the  desire  to  hear  this  debate  drew  to- 
gether crowds  of  people.  The  Mormons  came 
from  all  parts  of  the  country.  About  twenty 
elders,  bishops,  lawyers,  and  other  officials 
were  in  attendance.  Their  table  was  loaded 
with  books  to  be  used  in  their  defense.  In 
making  some  preliminary  arrangements  the 

told  the  people  that  last  year,  at  Conference,  they  said  that  his 
coat  looked  as  if  it  had  been  made  in  the  year  "  one."  "  Now, 
brethren,  give  me  some  help,  so  that  I  can  go  to  Conference 
without  my  old  '  one'  coat."  He  did  not  like  to  beg,  but  when 
he  did  lie  brought  down  the  money. 


1 62      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

disputants  were  interrupted  several  times  by 
a  young  lawyer  from  Nauvoo.  Finally  Mr. 
Phelps  said,  "Young  man,  you  had  better  stay 
at  Jericho  until  your  beard  grows  out."  The 
young  man  found  his  seat  in  a  hurry,  and  did 
not  interrupt  the  proceedings  again. 

Mr.  Savage  assumed  that  the  plates  found 
by  Joseph  Smith,  the  prophet,  were  the  two 
"sticks"  of  Ezekiel ;  that  the  Prophet  Isaiah 
described  the  same  plates  when  he  said,  "The 
vision  of  all  has  become  as  the  words  of  a 
book,"  etc.;  that  the  Psalmist  says,  "Truth 
shall  spring  out  of  the  ground;"  that  Ephraim 
is  a  distinct  people,  and  should  yet  take  pos- 
session of  the  promised  inheritance  ;  that  the 
Christians  were  promised  miraculous  power ; 
that  the  old  Roman  Church  had  abolished 
some  of  the  sacraments.  He  claimed  that  the 
Book  of  Mormon  proves  the  inspiration  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  the  Bible  teaches  Mormonism. 
He  claimed  that  the  antiquities  of  South  Amer- 
ica vindicate  the  Book  of  Mormon  and  estab- 
lish its  claims  to  inspiration. 

Mr.  Phelps  had  no  assistance.  He  arose 
with  no  book  before  him  except  the  Bible 
which  he  held  in  his  hands.  He  said  he  loved 
it:  first,  "Because  it  is  the  Word  of  God;" 
second,  "It  is  my  mother's  Bible."  He  replied 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  163 

to  the  numerous  arguments  of  his  opponent 
with  great  ease  and  clearness.  He  showed 
most  conclusively  that  his  opponent  had  per- 
verted the  passages  of  Scripture  quoted  to 
prove  Mormonism.  His  assaults  upon  the 
Book  of  Mormon  were  overwhelming.  At  one 
time  he  greatly  enraged  the  Mormons  by  call- 
ing it  "that  blasphemous  Book  of  Mormon." 

These  "Latter-day  Saints"  soon  found  out, 
to  their  sorrow,  that  Presiding  Elder  Phelps. 
was  more  than  a  match  for  their  champion  and 
all  of  his  helpers.  Mr.  Phelps  had  met  his 
opponent  before,  and  told  him  so.  He,  having 
left  a  sister  Church  in  disgrace,  stoutly  denied 
any  knowledge  of  such  a  meeting.  Mr.  Phelps 
responded,  looking  him  through  with  his  pierc- 
ing eyes,  "Then  the  Lord  has  made  two  men 
exactly  alike."  This  discussion  completely 
vanquished  the  Mormons. 

About  this  time  Joe  Smith  and  his  brother 
Hiram  were  arrested  and  lodged  in  jail  at 
Carthage,  Illinois.  His  wife  went  to  visit  him, 
accompanied  by  two  waiting  ladies.  She  was 
a  queenly  looking  woman,  with  bright  eyes. 
Finally,  an  incensed  mob  shot  Smith  whilst 
in  jail,  and  the  Mormons  removed  to  the  far 
West ;  but  their  doctrines  have  lingered  like  a 
terrible  blight,  to  curse  our  State. 


164      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Whilst  attending  his  quarterly  -  meeting  at 
Crow  Meadow,  the  first  ever  held  in  that  vi 
cinity,  Elder  Phelps  had  a  very  remarkable 
dream,  which  he  related  to  Rev.  Francis 
Smith  in  the  morning,  before  he  had  arisen 
for  breakfast : 

"In  his  dream  he  was  journeying  to  a  quarterly- 
meeting,  and  was  overtaken  by  Rev.  Jesse  Haile,* 
who  was  in  charge  of  three  horses.  After  the  usual 
salutations  the  following  dialogue  occurred  : 

'-  Phelps.  '  I  thought  that  you  were  dead,  brother 
Haile.'  • 

' '  Haile.  '  I  am  ;  I  died  at  Winchester  some  months 
since  (giving  the  time),  at  the  seat  of  the  Illinois 
Conference.' 

"P.  '  Ho\v  is  it  that  you  are  permitted  to  come 
back  to  earth?  .and  what  are  you  doing  with  those 
horses  ?' 

" H.  'I  have  charge  of  all  the  horses  belonging  to 
Methodist  preachers;  and  these  are  some  I  found 
astray,  and  am  returning  them  to  their  owners.' 

"P.  'Are  you  permitted  to  communicate  what 
you  know  of  the  invisible  world,  or  future  state?' 

"  H.    '  Not  every  thing. ' 

"P.    'How  is  it  with  you,  brother  Haile?' 

"//!  'I  am  happy.  You  know,  brother  Phelps, 
that  I  had  a  great  many  enemies,  because  of  my 
plain  preaching  and  unsparing  rebukes  of  the  vices 
and  fashions  of  the  day." 

"P.    'I  know  you  had.' 


*  He  had  been  dead  but  a  short  time. 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  165 

"ff.    'It  is  all  the  better  for  me  now.' 

"P.  How  do  the  respective  denominations  stand 
in  the  estimation  of  the  inhabitants  of  heaven?' 

"//.  'All  of  them  are  esteemed  for  some  things, 
but  considered  deficient  in  others.  -  Upon  the  whole, 
the  Methodist  Church  is  considered  nearest  apostolic 
of  any  ;  but  she  is  becoming'  too  much  conformed  to 
the  spirit  and  fashions  of  the  world.  The  missionary 
enterprise  is  more  highly  esteemed  than  any  other, 
and  there  is  more  interest  taken  in  it  than  all  others. 
You  know  Dr.  Martin  Ruter,  who  went  to  Texas  as 
missionary  superintendent  and  died  there?' 

"P.    'Yes.' 

" H.  'He  n'ow  has  the  superintendence  of  all  the 
missionary  interest  of  the  heavenly  world.  You  also 
knew  John  Dew,  who  was  secretary  of  the  Mission- 
ary Society  of  the  Illinois  Conference?' 

"P.    'Yes.' 

" H.  'He  now  occupies  the  same  post  in  the 
heavenly  world;  and  in  the  main  the  heavenly  de- 
partment of  the  missionary  cause  co-operates  with 
the  Church  militant.  Do  you  have  as  hard  times  in 
the  itinerancy  as  formerly?' 

"P.    'There  is  little  improvement.' 

"If.  'Does  the  Church  pay  the  preachers  better 
than  formerly?' 

"P.   'There  is  some  improvement  in  this  respect.' 

"Here  brother  Phelps  told  him  what  he  received 
at  his  last  quarterly -meeting.  (This  was  Sabbath 
morning  when  he  related  the  dream  of  the  preceding 
night,  while  we  yet  lay  in  bed.  When  the  funds 
were  disbursed,  Monday  morning,  it  corresponded  to 
the  cent  with  the  amount  specified  in  the  dream.) 


1 66      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"H.  'The  Church  has  driven  many  good  and 
useful  men  from  the  work,  crippled  others  by  her 
penuriousness,  and  thereby  greatly  circumscribed  the 
work.  Do  you  think  of  locating?' 

"P.    'Yes;  I  am  sometimes  tempted  to.' 
"  H.    '  Never   locate,   brother  Phelps,   but   preach 
the    Word    with   all    its   point  and   energy.      Endure 
unto   the   end,   and   there  is  a  crown  of  many  stars 
for  you.'  "  *  •» 

Those  were  times  of  trial  for  Methodist 
ministers,  and  doubtless  on  account  of  the  mea- 
ger claims  of  the  pastor  and  presiding  elder 
this  dream  was  comforting.  It  is  due  Mr. 
Phelps  to  say  here  that  he  was  no  believer  in 
spiritualism,  but  a  most  powerful  opposer  of 
that  pernicious  doctrine. 

October  8,  1844!  he  wrote  an  obituary  of 
Rev.  Joseph  Mitchell,  who  had  died  in  Taze- 
well  County,  aged  eighty-six.  Shortly  before 
his  death  Mr.  Phelps  visited  him,  and  found 
him  happy,  with  the  prospect  of  meeting  with 
Asbury,  M'Kendree,  Lee,  and  Freeborn  Gar- 
retson.  He  had  traveled  in  New  York  and 
New  Jersey,  the  Floridas  and  Canadas.  His 
last  days  were  peaceful. 

During  his  stay  on  this  district  he  had  the 
good  luck  to  kill,  near  town,  a  deer,  and 


*  Letter  of  Rev.  F.  Smith  to  the  author,  May.  1878. 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  167 

several  turkeys.  He  seldom  "went  hunting," 
and  this  success  was  the  occasion  of  much 
comment  by  the  preachers  of  his  district. 

On  February  17,  1845,  Charles  Elliott 
Phelps  was  born.  In  June,  Elder  Phelps  was 
away  on  his  'district,  when  word  came  of  the 
dangerous  illness  of  his  babe.  Subsequent  to 
its  death  and  funeral,  which  was  conducted 
by  Z.  Hall,  then  pastor  at  Washington,  he 
wrote  to  his  father-in-law  with  reference  to  the 
sad  event. 

"  WASHINGTON,  ILL.,  June  2,  1845. 
"DEAR  FATHER, — As  you  requested  me  to  write, 
this  is  to  inform  you  that  at  eleven  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing, after  funeral  services  at  the  church,  we  com- 
mitted the  remains  of  our  dear  little  babe  to  the 
tomb.  The  deep  anguish  of  a  parent's  heart  on  such 
an  occasion  can  only  be  fully  conceived  by  one  who 
has  had  personal  experience.  He  died  of  croup. 
He  was  taken  worse  on  Friday  evening  after  I  left, 
and  died  on  Sunday  morning  at  one  o'clock.  On 
account  of  the  excessive  darkness  of  last  night  I  got 
lost  twice,  and  consequently  lost  so  much  time,  that 
I  did  not  reach  home  until  seven  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing. Joseph  is  much  better.  If  Providence  permit, 
I  shall  bring  my  family  to  camp-meeting. 

"Yours,  affectionately,         A.  E.  PHELPS." 

A  camp-meeting  was  held  on  the  Lafayette 
Circuit.  The  attendance  was  small.  The 
nights  were  cool,  but  the  meeting  was  success- 
ful. Elder  Phelps  preached  two  sermons  dur- 


1 68      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

ing   the    meeting    that    are    still    remembered 
with  pleasure  by  the  Methodists  of  that  day. 

Conference  met  in  Peoria,  August  20,  1845. 
Boyd  Lowe,  Hector  J.  Humphrey,  J.  W. 
Agard,  U.  J.  Giddings,  W.  G.  Miller,  and 
eighteen  others  were  received  on  trial.  Isaac 
M.  Leihy,  Asa  Wood,  Francis  Smith,  and 
Simon  K.  Lemon  were  ordained  deacons.  G. 
L.  S.  Stuff,  Seymour  Stover,  Isaac  Searles, 
Joseph  Kelley,  and  F.  Haney  were  ordained 
elders.  Thomas  S.  Hitt  and  five  others  lo- 
cated. Alfred  Brunson  John  Sinclair,  John 
Morey,  W.  C.  Cummings,  and  two  others  were 
on  the  superannuated  list.  Henry  Summers 
was  presiding  elder  on  the  Plattville  District, 
N.  P.  Heath  at  Plattville,  A.  Wooliscraft  was 
at  Lewistown,  U.  J.  Giddings  was  on  the  Mer- 
cer Circuit,  B.  T.  Kavanaugh  was  agent  for 
the  American  Colonization  Society. 

There  was  an  increase,  of  three  hundred 
and  seventy-nine  on  the  Washington  District. 
Francis  Smith  was  still  within  the  Washington 
District ;  he  was  much  esteemed  by  his  elder. 
One  Sabbath  G.  H.  Phelps  went  to  hear  him 
preach.  When  his  father  returned,  George  told 
him  about  the  sermon.  He  said  the  text  was, 
"  How  shall  we  neglect  if  we  escape  so  great  a 
salvation."  F.  Smith  has  ever  had  a  very  keen 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  169 

sense  of  the  ludicrous,  and  this  was  too  much 
for  his  gravity ;  and  for  years  he  had  only  to 
be  reminded  of  this  statement  of  his  text,  in 
order  to  enjoy  a  fit  of  uncontrollable  laughter. 

In  June,  1846,  Elder  Phelps  preached  the 
funeral  sermon  of  Rev.  William  Brown,  who 
had  spent  much  of  his  life  in  the  itinerancy. 
He  had  anticipated  death,  and  watched  the 
approach  of  the  king  of  terrors'  without  any 
sign  of  emotion.  He  charged  his  wife  and 
five  children  to  meet  him  in  heaven.  He  tried 
to  sing  the  "Bower  of  Prayer,"  when  sight 
and  hearing  were  fast  failing.  It  was  a  mov- 
ing occasion  and  cheering  sermon. 

Conference  met  at  Galena,  Illinois,  and 
reported  an  increase  of  one  thousand  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-nine.  The  total  in  the  Rock 
River  Conference  at  this  time  was  eighteen 
thousand  two  hundred  and  nineteen.  Of  this 
number  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  were 
Indians  and  nineteen  were  colored  people. 
Benjamin  Applebee,  W.  M.  Osborne,  Milton  L. 
Haney,  Alonzo  Falkenbury,  J.  C.  Stoughton, 
George  Lovesee,  H.  V.  Irish,  and  fourteen 
others  were  received  on  trial.  A.  E.  Phelps 
was  appointed  to  the  agency  of  Mount  Morris 
Seminary.  Mr.  Phelps  was  a  kind  and  loving 
presiding  elder.  The  preachers  of  his  district 

15 


170     TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

and   the   people   greatly  loved   him  and   wept 
when  his  time  of  service  expired. 

About  this  time  he  held  a  debate  with  Rev. 
William  Davenport.  The  preachers  of  that 
day  do  not  agree  as  to  this  discussion  ;  some 
insist  that  it  occurred  in  1843,  an^  others  in 
1845.  B.  H.  Cartwright  is  quite  sure  that  it 
occurred  in  August,  1847;  that  ^  was  held 
in  the  Campbellite  (Christian)  church,  near 
Cameron.  It  was  an  occasion  never  to  be  for- 
gotten. The  correspondence,  already  alluded 
to,  began  in  1836.  For  months  Mr.  Daven- 
port declined  an  engagement,  but  after  much 
delay  he  consented  to  meet  .  Mr.  Phelps  at 
or  near  Cameron,  Illinois.  This  was  unfor- 
tunate for  the  doctrines  of  Rev.  Alexander 
Campbell.*  The  discussion  was  ably  con- 
ducted on  both  sides.  The  first  proposition 
affirmed  "justification  by  faith  only."  The 
second  affirmed  that  immersion  is  the  only 
proper  mode  of  Christian  baptism.  The  third 
declared  that  infants  are  proper  subjects  of 
baptism.  .The  fourth  affirmed  that  baptism 
is  for  or  in  order  to  the  remission  of  past 
sins.  Mr.  Phelps  affirmed  the  first  and  third 
propositions.  Mr.  Davenport  affirmed  the  sec- 
ond and  fourth.  During  the  discussion  his 

*  Rev.  F.  Smith's  letter  to  the  author. 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  171 

opponent  asked  a  certain  professor  to  come 
forward  and  translate  a  disputed  word,  and 
just  as  the  "Disciple's"  friends  were  beginn- 
ing to  rejoice,  Mr.  Phelps  arose  and  placing  his 
finger  on  the  verse  containing  the  word  re- 
quested him  to  read  it !  The  unlucky  pro- 
fessor was  badly  chagrined,  but  was  compelled 
to  confess  that  he  could  not  read  it. 

The  closing  speech  on  Infant  Baptism  by 
the  affirmative  was  overwhelming.  The  entire 
audience  was  spellbound.  All  his  critics  sus- 
pended work  and  sat  with  heads  erect,  looking 
as  if  their  day  of  doom  had  come.  Just  before 
he  closed,  a  good  Methodist  gave  vent  to  her 
feelings  in  ringing  shouts  of  joy.  Amens  were 
heard  on  every  hand.  He  turned  quickly  and 
said,  "What  do  you  think  of  that,  brother 
Davenport?"  Mr.  D.  replied,  "Enthusiasm! 
enthusiasm !  ENTHUSIASM  !  It  is  the  spirit  of 
Phelps."  He  replied  quickly,  and  with  evi- 
dent good  humor.  "Oh,  no,  brother  Daven- 
port, if  you  could  only  get  the  water  out  of 
your  head  and  the  grace  of  God  in  your  heart, 
it  would  make  you  shout  too" 

When  Mr.  Davenport  arose  to  reply  the 
excitement  was  so  intense  that  he  could  not 
proceed.  He  said,  "  He  had  often  seen  simi- 
lar excitements  in  the  court-room,  created  by 


172      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

an  eloquent  plea."  Mr.  Phelps  quickly  asked, 
"Did  anybody  shout?"  During  the  debate 
the  "Disciples,"  as  a  matter  of  course,  did  all 
they  could  to  aid  their  champion,  for  such 
he  was,  and  continued  to  send  to  him  sug- 
gestions, notes,  and  comments,  until,  in  his 
haste,  he  said  in  a  tone  full  of  vexation,  "Go 
away,  brethren,  with  your  notes  ;  you  bother 
me."  He  did  all  that  an  earnest  advocate 
of  an  erroneous  doctrine  could  do ;  but  public 
sentiment  was  clearly  with  his  opponent,  who, 
at  the  close  of  the  discussion,  baptized  more 
than  a  dozen  children  of  parents  who  had 
changed  their  views  on  the  subject  as  a  result 
of  the  debate.  It  was  a  battle  of  giants.  The 
cause  of  orthodox  Christianity  had  an  able 
advocate  in  Mr.  Phelps,  and  its  adherents, 
without  regard  to  sect,  were  glad  to  do  him 
honor. 

The  advocates  of  the  teachings  of  Alexan- 
der Campbell  were  much  disheartened  by  this 
discussion.  Some  of  them  openly  acknowl- 
edged their  disappointment  at  the  result,  but 
attributed  it  wholly  to  the  great  ability  of 
Elder  Phelps,  his  fervor,  and  evident  candor. 
Rev.  William  Davenport  was  no  child  in  de- 
bate, and  displayed  great  ability  in  many  ways, 
and  ought  not  to  have  been  censured  for  the 


PEORIA  DISTRICT.  173 

result.  The  great  Dr.  Eck  could  not  stand 
before  the  humble  Martin  Luther  in  debate, 
and  Zwingle  was  more  than  a  match  for  Luther 
on  the  subject  of  the  "Real  Presence"  of  the 
body  and  blood  of  Jesus  in  the  bread  and  wine. 
S.  G.  Morse,  a  pioneer  in  Illinois,  a  man  who 
helped  to  form  its  first  constitution,  and  whose 
vote  helped  to  make  it  a  free  State,  was  pres- 
ent throughout,  and  was  much  gratified  at  the 
result.  Judge  Quimby,  a  prominent  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  was  one  of  the  Mod- 
erators, and  ever  after  was  Mr.  Phelps's  firm 
friend.  This  discussion  substantially  made  him 
a  Methodist,  although  he  never  severed  his 
connection  with  his  Church.* 

Whilst  on  the  Peoria  District  he  took 
many  subscriptions  for  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  He  kept  these  names  with  great 
care  in  a  book  provided  for  that  purpose  by  the 
Book  Concern.  Here  I  read  the  name  of 
Thomas  J.  Henderson,  our  General  Hender- 
son,f  member  of  Congress  ;  and  there  Will- 
iam Hall,  of  Elmira,  Stark  County,  a  noble, 
good  man,  whose  house  was  the  home  of 

*His  funeral  services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  E.  Was- 
inuth,  of  Central  Illinois  Conference. 

f  He  so  highly  esteemed  Elder  Phelps  that  he  had  his  name 
inscribed  in  the  Metropolitan  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at 
Washington  City. 


174     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  Methodist  preachers  of  that  day.  He 
said,  "  I  have  heard  many  great  men  preach ; 
once  have  heard  Dr.  Clarke,  Richard  Wat- 
son, '  Billy '  Dawson,  and  some  of  our  best 
preachers  in  this  county,  but  I  do  think  Asahel 
E.  Phelps  was  the  greatest  preacher  I  ever 
listened  to."'  Here  is  the  name  of  Bennet 
Fleharty,  of  Henry  County,  who  in  those  days 
would  ride  ten  miles  to  lead  a  class-meeting, 
but  has  fallen  asleep.  Here  I  read  the  name 
of  Judge  Hulgate,  a  staunch  old  citizen  in 
those  early  times,  and  here  is  the  name  of 
Jesse  Knowlton,  of  Peoria,  too  well  known  to 
need  description,  and  many  others.  In  this 
way,  as  presiding  elder,  he  laid  broad  and  deep 
the  foundations  of  Methodism  in  his  district. 


*To  the  author. 


CHAPTER  SEVENTH. 

AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY. 

Trip  to  Mount  Morris  —  Entered  upon  the  Work  of  the 
Agency — Anecdote  of  a  Wealthy  Man — E.  Ransom — Birth  of 
a.  Son — H;ird  Times — Incessant  Labors — Debate  with  Mr.  Gard- 
ner— Mr.  Phelps's  Promotion — Conference  at  Chicago — Dele- 
gates to  General  Conference  —  Appointments  —  Letter  to  his 
Companion — Letter  to  his  Father-in-law — Death  of  his  Child — 
Letter  to  his  Companion  from  Sycamore,  111 — Trip  to  General 
Conference — Delegates — Preached  on  Board  of  Ne  Phis  Ultra — 
Boarded  with  a  Methodist  Family  —  A  Funeral  —  Journey  to 
Baltimore — Visit  to  his  Brother,  Hon.  F.  P.  Phelps — Preached 
in  Cambridge — Visit  to  Washington  City — Returns  to  Balti- 
more— A  Boat  Race — Journey  Home— Conference  Session — 
Letter  to  his  Companion — Death  of  James  Lazenby — Statistics — 
Report  of  Rock  River  Seminary — Prominent  Appointments. 

A  PLAN  for  building  up  the  educational 
interests  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  Rock  River  Conference  was 
accepted  by  that  Conference  in  1845.  The 
Seminary  was  located  at  Mount  Morris,  in 
Ogle  County.  The  site  was  very  beautiful ; 
but  the  town  failed  to  become  a  railroad  cen- 
ter, and  the  school  has  been  superseded  by 
wealthier  institutions.  The  demand  for  such 
a  school  in  Northern  Illinois  was  imperative. 

175 


ij6     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

The  country  was  rapidly  developing,  and  the 
necessity  for  an  educated  ministry  was  most 
apparent  to  all  close  observers. 

Mr.  Phelps  was  an  intense  lover  of  educa- 
tion, and  had  felt  the  need  of  such  schools 
during  his  entire  ministerial  career.  He  was 
urged  to  accept  the  position  as  Agent  by  some 
of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  Conference; 
and  after  mature  consideration  he  assented  to 
the  proposition,  and  was  consequently  ap- 
pointed. There  were  discouragements  and 
burdens  to  be  met  and  borne,  but  duty  called, 
and  he  obeyed. 

The  division  of  the  old  Illinois  Conference 
made  the  Rock  River  Seminary  necessary.  It 
had  no  endowment,  was  without  suitable  build- 
ings, and  without  prestige.  Thanks  be  unto 
God  for  old  Mount  Morris  Seminary !  Al- 
though now  overshadowed  by  other  colleges 
and  universities,  it  will  go  down  to  posterity 
that  its  work  of  educating  young  men,  at  a 
time  when  the  demand  was  very  pressing, 
helped  to  lay  the  foundation  of  our  present 
glorious  Church. 

Mr.  Phelps  and  family  proceeded  to  Mount 
Morris,  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Wash- 
ington, in  wagons.  Miss  Electa  Mitchell, 
granddaughter  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Mitchell, 


*  AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          177 

accompanied  them.  Subsequently  she  became 
a  teacher  in  the  school,  and  was  married  to 
the  nephew  of  Thomas  S.  Hitt. 

A.  E.  Phelps  entered  upon  the  work  of  the 
agency  with  vigor.  Philo  Judson  and  J.  C. 
Parks  had  preceded  him  in  the  agency  for  one 
year.  The  enterprise  was  on  hand,  and  suc- 
cess was  necessary  to  the  future  prosperity  of 
the  Conference.  The  new  agent  plead  ear- 
nestly and  eloquently  for  the  cause  of  educa- 
tion. His  appeals  seldom  failed  to  move  the 
sympathies  of  the  people.  Sometimes  ladies 
were  so  aroused  to  the  importance  of  the  en- 
terprise as  to  deliberately  pull  off  their  finger- 
rings  and  ear-rings,  and  give  them  to  him  for 
the  Seminary.  At  Crow  Prairie  he  plead  with 
a  wealthy  man  for  a  liberal  subscription,  but 
without  avail.  Mr.  Phelps  had  prayed  for  suc- 
cess, and  felt  that  it  was  a  just  cause,  and  when 
he  failed  to  secure  help  of  this  man  of  wealth 
he  told  him  he  expected  he  would  lose  heavily 
because  of  his  refusal  to  help  in  this  time  of 
extremity.  In  a  short  time  the  man  lost  a 
horse,  and  afterwards  gave  liberally. 

Elijah  Ransom  was  teaching  the  village 
school  in  Mount  Morris,  and  became  warmly 
attached  to  Mr.  Phelps.  The  friendship  was 
mutual  and  permanent. 


178      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

On  January  29,  1847,  a  son  was  born,  whom 
he  named  Charles  Henry.  On  February  4th 
he  wrote  an  account  of  his  child's  birth  to  his 
father-in-law ;  that  Mary  had  chills ;  that  the 
Seminary  was  doing  well,  had  one  hundred 
and  fourteen  students,  but  that  money  was 
very  scarce.  The  Mexican  War  had  broken 
out  a  few  months  before,  and  was  now  raging 
fiercely.  President  Polk  had  called  for  fifty 
thousand  volunteers,  and  Illinois  had  responded 
to  the  call,  and  sent  many  of  her  best  and 
bravest  sons  to  swell  the  armies  of  Taylor  and 
Scott.  Times  were  hard,  money  scarce. 

Many  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  the  West  did  not  know  the  value 
of  such  a  seminary  of  learning,  and  were  loth 
to  contribute.  As  agent,  Mr.  Phelps  labored 
to  promote  the  love  of  education  wherever  he 
went.  Some  men  create  enthusiasm  in  behalf 
of  their  cause  by  their  own  hearty  espousal 
of  the  same.  In  many  places  he  could  do  but 
little  for  the  financial  prosperity  of  the  Semi- 
nary, but  he  seldom  failed  to  create  a  deeper 
interest  in  the  school  at  Mount  Morris. 

He  was  widely  known,  and  was  often  called 
upon  to  defend  the  doctrines  of  our  Church. 
The  pastors  were  glad  to  receive  a  visit  from 
such  an  agent.  Their  challenges  for  public 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          179 

discussion  were  frequently  thus  placed  into 
his  hands. 

In  1847  he  held  a  debate  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Gardner,  then  perhaps  the  most  polished  advo- 
cate of  Universalism  in  Illinois.  At  that  time 
Universalism  was  very  popular.  At  Farming- 
ton  there  was  a  very  large  attendance  upon 
the  debate.  Revs.  J.  Morey,  R.  Haney,  B.  C. 
Swarts,  R.  N.  Morse,  and  other  prominent 
ministers,  were  present.  In  Mr.  Gardner  he 
met  the  champion. of  Universalism  in  Illinois; 
and  when  the  ordinary  arguments  against  that 
popular  and  strangely  fascinating  doctrine  had 
been  presented,  he  followed  up  with  an  endless 
variety  of  new  and  positively  startling  "objec- 
tions," supported  by  the  Word  of  God.  The 
questions  were  such  as  are  usually  discussed 
by  Universalists  and  Methodists. 

After  Mr.  Phelps  had  gone  through  with 
his  argument,  and  had  recapitulated  it  with  the 
power  of  an  intellectual  giant,  he  said  he  had 
a  few  moments  left,  and  he  would  use  these  as 
he  saw  best.  He  then  referred  his  opponent 
to  the  fact  that  "we  are  going  to  the  Judg- 
ment, where  we  must  give  an  impartial  account 
for  all  that  we  have  said  in  this  debate." 

"Amen,"  responded  Mr.  Gardner. 

"Our  doctrines  will  be  tested  there." 


i  So      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"Amen,"  responded  Mr.  Gardner. 

Then  he  gave  a  most  fearful  description  of 
the  judgment  scene,  the  ascension  of  the  dead 
in  Christ.  He  depicted  the  ascension  of  Wes- 
ley, Whitefield,  Edwards,  and  others,  saying, 
as  they  come  into  the  presence  of  the  Judge 
on  the  great  white  throne,  "Here,  O  Lord, 
are  the  souls  which  I  have  brought  with  me." 
He  then  represented  Thomas  Paine,  Voltaire, 
and  others,  as  they  come  in  the  presence  of 
God  for  judgment,  and  saying,  "  Here,  O  Lord, 
are  the  souls  that  I  have  ruined,  and  here  am 
I."  He  then  gave  a  thrilling  description  of  a 
noble-looking  form  at  the  head  of  a  legion  of 
lost  souls,  who,  with  haggard  face  and  eye- 
balls of  fire,  addressed  the  Judge,  "  Here,  O 
Lord,  are  the  souls  that  I  have  ruined,  and 
here  am  I."  "  Say  amen  to  that,  brother 
Gardner.  Say  amen  to  that,  brother  Gard- 
ner." He  then  read  as  from  the  Book  of  God 
the  awful  sentence;  then  repeated,  "Say  amen 
to  that,  brother  Gardner."  He  then  described 
the  descent  into  the  bottomless  pit  in  the 
awfully  solemn  words  of  Milton ;  then  again  re- 
sponded, "Say  amen  to  that,  brother  Gardner." 

By  this  time  the  audience  had  become  be- 
wildered with  the  terrors  of  the  Judgment-day, 
and  hung  with  painful  suspense  upon  the  lips 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          181 

of  the  speaker.*  Mr.  Gardner  himself  seemed 
utterly  overcome  with  fear;  his  face  became  as 
the  face  of  the  dead,  whilst  such  a  trembling 
seized  upon  him  that  he  was  compelled  to 
take  hold  of  the  table  by  his  side  to  prevent 
him  from  falling  to  the  floor. 

When  Mr.  Phelps  sat  down  the  outburst 
of  emotion  was  irrepressible.  Sobs  were  heard 
on  every  hand.  Scarcely  a  dry  eye  could  be 
seen  in  that  throng  of  people.  Mr.  Gardner 
died  soon  after ;  it  is  said  that  his  intimate 
friends  maintain  that  he  never  recovered  from 
the  gloom  that  took  possession  of  him  under 
Mr.  Phelps's  closing  speech.  Poor  man!  he 
was  shrewd,  genial,  and  accomplished,  but  was 
defending  a  bad  cause,  and  that,  too,  when 
assailed  by  a  logical,  self-poised,  eloquent, 
poetical,  earnest,  and  thoroughly  religious  man. 
Such  a  discussion  as  this  was  owned  and  blessed 
of  God  in  the  building  up  of  the  cause  of  Christ. 
This  debate  broke  the  power  of  Universalism 
in  that  region,  and  it  has  never  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  it. 

Conference  met  this  year  at  Chicago,  Au- 
gust n,  1847.  Thirty  young  men  were  re- 
ceived on  trial.  C.  Lazenby,  F.  A.  Reed, 

*  Rev.  J.  Morey,  B.  C.  Swarts,  R.  Hnney.  Testimony 
to  the  iuithor. 


1 82      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

William  Tasker,  Benjamin  C.  Swarts,  Roswell 
N.  Morse,  J.  O.  Gilbert,  C.  W.  Batchelor, 
Henry  Requa,  and  James  Taylor  were  of  the 
number.  The  increase  in  membership  was 
small  —  seven  hundred  and  sixty-one.  The 
Conference  reported  for  missions  eight  hun- 
dred and  eighty-one  dollars  and  eighty-seven 
cents  ;  for  Bible  cause,  fifty-seven  dollars  and 
fifty  cents.  John  Chandler  was  appointed  to 
the  Chicago  District,  and  Chauncey  Hobart  to 
the  Racine  District.  Henry  Summers,  Rich- 
ard Haney,  Asahel  E.  Phelps,  Philo  Judson, 
and  John  Chandler  were  elected  delegates 
to  the  General  Conference.  C.  Lazenby  was 
at  St.  Charles  with  Silas  Bolles  ;  F.  A.  Reed 
was  at  Wheeling  with  S.  Stover ;  J.  O.  Gil- 
bert was  at  Monmouth  ;  B.  C.  Swarts  was  at 
Macomb  with  Barton  H.  Cartwright ;  James 
Taylor  and  C.  W.  Batchelor  were  at  Forst- 
land ;  William  Tasker  was  at  Hazle  Green 
with  Isaac  Searl ;  H.  Requa  was  in  charge  of 
Brothertown  Mission ;  R.  N.  Morse  was  in 
charge  of  Peoria  Circuit.  His  "assistant" 
preacher  was  a  much  older  man  than  himself, 
by  the  name  of  William  Gaddis.  He  was  cer- 
tainly a  very  eccentric  man.  During  the  year 
there  were  powerful  revivals  on  the  circuit. 
At  one  appointment  a  grave,  quiet  Meth- 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.  183 

odist  layman  reproved  some  converts  for  their 
demonstrations  of  joy,  alleging  that  "  God  is  a 
God  of  order."  At  the  next  appointment  at 
that  place  R.  N.  Morse  preached,  and  Father 
Gaddis,  as  they  called  him,  exhorted,  and  took 
especial  pains  to  exhort  the  brother  who 
had  reproved  the  young  people  for  shouting. 
He  then  led  class-meeting.  He  first  walked 
straight  to  the  brother  and  said,  "Brother, 
how  does  your  soul  prosper?"  The  layman 
arose  very  deliberately  and  said,  "I  have  built 
upon  the  rock."  Brother  Gaddis  responded, 
"Be  sure  of  it,  brother,  be  sure  of  it."  He 
again  said  with  greater  emphasis,  "  I  've  built 
upon  the  rock!"  Brother  Gaddis,  "Be  sure 
of  it,  brother,  be  sure  of  it."  The  "brother" 
then  went  on  to  reply  to  the  exhortation. 
Brother  Gaddis  said,  "  Sit  down,  brother,  sit 
down.  Brother  Morse  make  this  brother  sit 
down."  Young  Morse  arose  with  the  dignity 
of  an  older  minister,  and  quietly  said,  "Father 
Gaddis,  I  think  you  had  better  sit  down. 
Brother,  please  sit  down,  too,  and  proceeded 
with  the  class-meeting  himself. 

Once  Father  Gaddis  was  at  a  temperance 
meeting  which  was  addressed  by  Mr.  Thomas, 
the  celebrated  apostle  of  temperance  in  Illi- 
nois, thirty  years  ago.  Mr.  Thomas  compared 


184     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  Good  Templars'  secret  meetings  to  class- 
meetings.  Instantly  Father  Gaddis  was  on  his 
feet,  and  thus  addressed  Mr.  Thomas:  "Sir, 
when  you  speak  of  class-meetings  speak  re- 
spectfully, sir;"  and  then  took  his  seat.  Mr. 
Thomas  hesitated,  and  then  responded,  "I  es- 
teem the  Methodists  highly,  and  have  great  re- 
spect for  their  class-meetings."  Again  Father 
Gaddis  arose  and  said,  "Speak  respectfully, 
sir,  speak  respectfully,  sir,"  and  sat  down. 
The  good  temperance  reformer  was  embar- 
rassed, but  was  wise  enough  to  change  the 
topic.  Notwithstanding  his  oddities,  Father 
Gaddis  was  a  man  of  real  ability.  Some  of 
his  sermons  were  very  interesting. 

Mr.  Phelps  entered  upon  his  second  year 
in  the  agency  of  Rock  River  Seminary  with 
vigor.  The  agent  felt  a  deep  interest  in 
the  cause  of  education,  and  devoted  his  full 
strength  to  the  business  of  the  seminary. 
He  was  an  excellent  financier,  a  careful  ad- 
viser, and  an  incessant  worker.  He  made  a 
minute  of  all  items  in  connection  with  his 
household  expenses, — the  sale  of  books,  the 
purchase  of  provisions,  the  amounts  due  him 
for  board  and  received  for  board,  the  amounts 
paid  for  hired  help ;  in  fine,  of  every  thing- 
great  and  small.  He  was  seldom  at  home  on 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          185 

the  Sabbath.  Sometimes  he  was  absent  many 
days.  In  February,  1848,  he  took  such  a  jour- 
ney, during  which  he  wrote  his  wife : 

"  ALBANY,  ILL.,  February  28,  1848. 
"  MY  DEAR  CHARLOTTE, — As  I  have  a  moment 
of  leisure  while  waiting  for  breakfast,  I  will  com- 
mence a  short  epistle  to  you  and  the  children.  I 
met  with  some  detention  in  my  business  on  Saturday, 
and  therefore  did  not  get  on  to  Rock  Island  to  spend 
the  Sabbath  as  I  had  hoped.  I  spent  it  in  Albany, 
where  I  found  some  kind  friends,  and  have  been 
agreeably  entertained.  Since  I  left  home  my  health 
has  been  poor.  I  think  I  had  the  sickest  night  on 
Friday  night  last  that  I  have  had  for  years ;  since 
then  have  been  better.  I  presume  it  is  the  recurrence 
of  my  old  complaint.  Yesterday  I  was  gloomy  all 
clay  from  some  distressful  dream  the  night  before 
about  home.  I  am  fearful  that  you  and  Elizabeth 
are  both  worse.  I  looked  strongly  all  day  for  a  mes- 
senger for  me,  but  perhaps  it  was  only  a  dream.  I 
shall  leave  this  morning  for  Moline,  thence  to  Rock 
Island.  The  first  night  after  leaving  home  I  spent 
again  with  my  old  friend  M'Kean,  and  was  most 
agreeably  entertained.  It  is  now  March  2,  1848, 
Thursday  morning,  and  I  proceed  in  haste  to  close 
my  letter.  It  is  now  cold  and  snowing  very  fast, 
and  I  have  between  thirty  and  forty  miles  to  drive 
to-day.  I  arrived  in  this  place  (Rock  Island)  on 
yesterday  morning,  having  visited  all  of  our  sub- 
scribers above  before  I  came  down.  Brother  Hall  is 
in  good  health ;  sister  Hall  still  has  feeble  health. 
Mr.  Simson  and  his  family  are  living  with  brother 

Hall.      He    closed    business    in    Magnolia,    and    pur- 

16 


1 86     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

chased  an  interest  in  a  steamboat,  and  ran  on  the  river 
for  the  last  six  or  eight  months,  but  grew  tired  of  the 
business  and  sold  out,  and  is  now  doing  nothing. 
Lewis  Hall  is  driving  a  team  for  a  living.  I  expect 
bad  weather ;  if  so,  I  may  not  be  at  home  till  after 
the  middle  of  the  month.  If  the  weather  and  roads 
should  be  good,  I  shall  be  likely  to  be  there  on  the 
1 5th.  Oh  how  anxious  I  feel  to  hear  from  you  or 
George,  informing  me  that  you  are  all  well.  I  could 
then  prosecute  my  journey  with  cheerfulness.  Tell 
Jody  and  Mary  that  I  think  about  them  every  day, 
and  want  to  see  them  very  much.  It  affords  me 
some  comfort  to  indulge  the'liope  that  another  year 
may  release  me  from  such  drudgery,  and  so  much 
absence  from  home.  Excuse  me  for  the  present ; 
breakfast  is  ready.  I  must  eat,  run  down  to  the 
office,  make  several  calls  for  money,  and  then  start 
on  my  journey. 

"Affectionately,  yours,          A.   E.   PHELPS." 

A  few  days  after  he  reached  home  Charles 
Henry  was  taken  sick,  and  on  the  i8th  of 
March  he  died.  His  letter  to  his  father-in- 
law  is  very  touching : 

"  MOUNT  MORRIS,  ILL.,  March  20,  1848. 
"  DEAR_FATHER, — I  sit  down  this  morning  with  a 
heart  crushed  with  sorrow  and  a  mind  saddened  with 
grief,  to  inform  you  that  the  King  of  Terrors  has 
once  more  broken  in  upon  our  domestic  circle.  Our 
sweet  babe  has  gone  to  heaven.  He  died  of  croup 
on  Saturday  morning,  after  nine  days  of  severe  suf- 
fering. O,  my  soul !  what  can  support  us  in  this 
deep  affliction?  Nothing — nothing  but  the  special 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          187 

grace  of  God.  Oh  my  dear  Charles  Henry !  How 
sweet  the  name  and  how  hard  to  give  him  up. 
Never  did  I  feel  my  spirit  so  crushed  before. 

"Yours,  affectionately,  A.  E.  PHELPS." 

On  March  31,  1848,  he  wrote  to  his  wife 
from  Sycamore,  Illinois.  He  hoped  she  would 
accompany  him  to  the  General  Conference  at 
Pittsburg.  His  horse  was  stiff — a  borrowed 
one,  too.  A  rainy  time.  "Yesterday  was  one 
of  the  most  gloomy  days  of  my  life.  Every 
thing  along  the  road  reminded  me  of  our  jour- 
ney to  Conference  and  back  last  Fall,  when 
our  dear  babe  was  with  us  in  fine  health  and 
playful.  Well,  we  have  the  consolation  to 
know  that  all  is  well  with  him  now,  and  we 
may  enjoy  his  company  again  when  friends 
meet  to  part  no  more." 

Such  was  the  grief  of  Mrs.  Phelps  that  she 
accompanied  her  husband  to  General  Confer- 
ence. George  and  Mary  were  left  in  the  care 
of  friends  at  Hennepin. 

In  company  with  D.  Markley  and  his  wife, 
they  took  a  boat  at  Hennepin  on  April  lyth. 
At  Cincinnati  the  delegates  chartered  a  boat, 
the  Ne  Plus  Ultra.  There  were  forty-five 
preachers  on.  board.  Peter  Cartwright,  Dr. 
C.  Elliott,  and  Dr.  Akers  were  of  the  com- 
pany. Mr.  Phelps  was  appointed  to  preach, 


1 88     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

which  he  did  with  good  liberty  from  the  eighth 
verse  of  the  forty-eighth  Psalm. 

This  General  Conference  was  one  of  very 
great  interest.  The  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  South  sent  Dr.  Pierce  as  a  "Frater- 
nal Delegate."  The  Conference  was  opened 
in  Pittsburg,  May  i,  1848,  by  Bishop  Hedding. 
Bishops  Waugh  and  Morris  led  in  prayer. 
J.  M.  Trimble  was  elected  secretary.  In  the 
appointment  of  Conference  Committees  the 
Rock  River  Conference  delegates  were  ap- 
pointed as  follows :  H.  Summers  and  R.  Ha- 
ney  on  the  "State  of  the  Church;"  A.  E. 
Phelps  on  "Book  Concern;"  "Expenses  of 
the  Delegates,"  Philo  Judson ;  "Itinerancy," 
John  Chandler;  "Episcopacy,"  Hooper  Crews. 
J.  A.  Collins  was  chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  "Book  Concern."  Dr.  George  Peck  was 
the  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  the  "State 
of  the  Church." 

Early  in  the  session  a  communication  was 
presented  by  Dr.  L.  Pierce,  relating  to  the 
establishment  of  fraternal  relations  between 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  South  and 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  It  was  re- 
ferred to  the  Committee  on  the  "State  of  the 
Church"  and  action  upon  it  was  postponed. 
On  May  24th  the  Committee  on  the  "State 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          189 

of  the  Church"  presented,  and  the  Conference 
passed  by  a  large  vote,  a  resolution  declaring 
that  the  General  Conference  has  no  authority 
to  divide  the  Church.  The  Rock  River  dele- 
gates voted  for  the  resolution. 

The  question  of  a  division  of  the  Church 
property  excited  much  interest.  The  General 
Conference  finally  authorized  the  Book  Agents 
to  arbitrate  the  case,  if  necessary. 

The  session  lasted  five  weeks.  Mr.  Phelps 
and  family  had  a  pleasant  boarding-place,  with 
a  good  Methodist  family.  During  his  stay  he 
was  called  upon  to  attend  the  funeral  of  a 
young  lady,  daughter  of  a  next-door  neighbor. 

At  the  close  of  the  General  Conference 
they  went  to  Baltimore.  The  journey  across 
the  mountains,  in  a  four-horse  stage-coach,  was 
very  tiresome.  After  spending  a  few  hours  in 
Baltimore  they  proceeded  to  Cambridge,  where 
Hon.  F.  P.  Phelps,  his  elder  brother,  then  re- 
sided. He  was  a  wealthy  man,  and  a  slave- 
holder. They  had  not  met  for  thirty  years, 
and  much  enjoyed  the  visit.  But  they  had 
grown  apart.  Hon.  F.  P.  Phelps  had  become 
a  thorough  slaveholder;  A.  E.  Phelps  scorned 
the  whole  slave  system,  and  was  outspoken  in 
his  opposition  to  it.  One  morning  he  heard  his 
brother  calling  to  his  slave-boy  to  come  and 


190      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

assist  him  about  dressing.  He  responded, 
quickly,  "What  do  you  want  of  Jack?  Get 
up,  and  dress  yourself,  as  I  do."  During  the 
remainder  of  his  visit  Jack  was  not  called  upon 
to  assist  any  body  in  dressing. 

Notwithstanding  these  differences  on  polit- 
ical and  moral  questions,  the  visit  was  very 
pleasant.  On  Sabbath  A.  E.  Phelps  preached 
in  Cambridge,  to  the  delight  of  his  brother 
and  many  others.  He  then  went  to  Washing- 
ton City,  and  succeeded  in  collecting  some- 
thing for  Rock  River  Seminary. 

Returning  to  Baltimore,  he  met  his  wife  and 
Joseph.  Mrs.  Phelps  had  been  greatly  fright- 
ened by  a  boat-race  that  morning,  and  was 
pleased  to  find  her  husband  in  waiting  for  her 
as  usual,  prompt  to  a  minute.  They  came 
home  by  way  of  Buffalo,  Detroit,  and  Chicago ; 
thence  by  canal  to  Peru,  which  they  reached 
on  Saturday  evening.  After  an  absence  of 
three  months,  they  reached  Mount  Morris  in 
good  health  and  spirits. 

"  CANTON,  ILL.,  August  2,  1848. 

"Mv  DEAR  CHARLOTTE, — As  I  have  a  leisure 
moment  tliis  morning',  before  starting  to  Conference, 
I  have  concluded  to  commence  my  epistle  to  you, 
and  finish  it  when  I  have  time.  We  had  a  pleasant 
journey  to  the  place,  but  tlicl  not  reach  here  until 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          191 

Monday  evening,  owing  to  my  detention  at  the 
Wyoming  Camp-meeting  till  after  Sabbath.  There  I 
had  the  gratification  of  seeing  many  of  my  old 
friends,  and  the  peculiar  pleasure  of  preaching  twice 
a  day  to  them.  Among  others  were  sister  Kern  and 
family.  John  Blackburn  lives  with  them,  and  has 
learned  to  work  very  hard.  He  came  up  to  the 
camp-ground,  driving  a  two-horse  -team  loaded  with 
people.  Mother  Kern  and  Catherine  are  living  in 
Washington.  I  learned,  in  passing  through  Charles- 
ton, that  they  had  taken  the  liberty  to  announce  an 
appointment  for  me,  without  my  knowledge,  to  lay 
the  corner-stone  of  their  church,  on  next  Saturday 
week,  the  I2th  of  this  month;  consequently  I  can 
not  possibly  be  at  home  before  the  following  Wed- 
nesday or  Thursday,  the  i6th  or  i/th  of  the  month. 
We  expect  a  protracted  session  of  the  Conference. 
Brother  De'vore  is  now  very  sick — thought  by  his 
physicians  to  be  dangerous.  I  am  very  comfortably 
situated  with  a  kind  Presbyterian  family,  near  the 
Conference  room.  All  I  lack  of  being  completely 
happy  is  the  presence  of  my  wife  and  children. 
Nothing  can  altogether  atone  for  their  absence. 

"August  5///.  It  is  now  Saturday  morning,  and  I 
proceed  to  finish  my  letter  in  haste,  as  I  have  but 
few  minutes  to  write.  Conference  has  progressed 
very  rapidly  and  pleasantly  with  its  business  as  yet; 
and  but  for  Mitchell's  case  and  brother  Babcock's,  I 
think  we  would  have  a  short  session.  Brother 
Mitchell's  case  will  come  on  Monday  next.  Brother 
Babcock's  case  was  called,  and  laid  over  to  some 
other  time.  It  will  come  up  next  week.  I  think 
Jie  is  not  crazy,  as  was  reported,  but  is  much  de- 


192      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

voted  to  Mesmerism.  Mitchell's  case  will  be  apt  to 
be  a  very  tedious  one.  He'  has  solicited  me  most 
ardently  to  defend  him  before  the  Conference,  and 
so  have  his  friends,  with  much  importunity ;  but  I 
beg  to  be  excused.  Brother  Janes  and  Professor 
Oulds  are  received  on  trial  in  the  traveling  connec- 
tion. The  other  cases  from  Mount  Morris  have  not 
come  up.  Brother  Van  Cleve  is  here,  and  boarding 
with  me.  He  would  like  to  be  transferred  to  our 
Conference,  with  several  others  from  Illinois.  I  saw 
sister  Whitman  on  yesterday;  she  says  she  must 
have  a  private  interview  with  me  to-day.  I  suppose 
she  wants  money,  and  wishes  to  engage  my  services 
to  present  her  claims  to  the  public.  I  perceive  we 
will  have  the  opportunity  of  getting  relieved  of  any 
surplus  funds  we  fnay  have  on  hand.  Already  I 
have  had  the  privilege  of  giving  about  five  dollars 
for  charities,  and  the  prospect  of  a  demand  for  sev- 
eral more.  Brother  Devore  is  now  a  little  better, 
but  still  delirious,  and  is  yet  in  danger.  We  have 
had  a  great  deal  of  rain  here  within  the  last  few 
days.  The  streets  and  roads  are  intolerably  muddy. 
I  can  iiot  tell  you  any  thing  about  my  appointment, 
only  the  preachers  seem  determined  to  keep  me  in 
the  agency  another  year.  The  Seminary  has  not 
come  up.  I  am  exceedingly  anxious  to  hear  from 
you  and  the  children. 

"I  did  not  finish  my  letter  on  Saturday,  on  ac- 
count of  a  crowd  of  business  that  could  not  be  dis- 
pensed with.  It  is  now  Monday  morning,  and  I 
proceed  to  close.  I  have  enough  to  do  at  this  Con- 
ference. I  am  chairman  of  four  committees,  and 
have  preached  twice  since  Conference  commenced, 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          193 

and  have  to  make  a  speech  before  the  missionary 
meeting  this  afternoon.  Excuse  my  errors;  for  I 
have  written  this  during  incessant  conversation,  and 
have  not  time  even  to  look  over  it  and  correct  mis- 
takes. Brother  Cunningham,  of  the  Illinois  Con- 
ference, is  dead.  Devore  is  getting  better.  Look 
for  me  about  Wednesday  or  Thursday,  the  i6th  or 
1 7th  of  the  month. 

"Yours  in  haste,  A.  E.  PHELPS." 

Conference  met  at  Canton,  August  2,  1848. 

C.  C.  Olds,  W.  J.  Smith,  W.  P.  Jones,  James 
F.  Chafee,  Jesse  B.  Quinly,  W.  S.   Fidler,  A. 

D.  Field,  Jonas  J.  Hedstrom,  and  four  others, 
were   received  on   trial.     James  Lazenby  had 
died   during-   the   year  —  was  thrown  from  his 
buggy  whilst  going  to  his  appointment.     From 
this  injury  he  died  in  thirty-six  hours  after  the 
accident.      Before    death    he    said,    "  Tell  my 
brethren,  if  I  should  die,  that   Christ  is  pre- 
cious ;  he  is  all  in  all.     All  is  well ;  my  way  is 
clear."     He    enjoyed    the   blessing  of  perfect 
love,  and  his  spirit 

"  Clapp'd  its  glad  wings,  and  soared  away, 
To  dwell  in  everlasting  day." 

It  is  a  fact  worthy  of  remark  that,  accord- 
ing to  the  statements  of  the  obituaries  of 
the  Methodist  preachers  of  those  times,  many 
were  public  professors  of  entire  sanctification. 

17 


194      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Methodism  was  rapidly  developing  in  the 
Rock  River  Conference.  This  year,  Clark 
Street  reported  321  members;  Canal  Street, 
193;  Indiana,  77;  Chicago  Mission,  135:  Pe- 
oria'  Station,  301  ;  Monmouth  Circuit,  333 ; 
Rock  Island  Station,  91,  Circuit,  108;  Wash- 
ington, 270;  Pekin,  226;  Canton,  334;  Lewis- 
town,  381 ;  Galena,  87  ;  Hennepin,  311  ;  Mount 
Morris,  205;  Rockford,  262;  Lafayette,  393. 

Mr.  Phelps,  in  behalf  of  the  Committee  on 
Education,  made  an  able  report,  in  which  he 
showed  the  need  of  better  facilities  for  the  ed- 
ucation of  our  youth.  He  claimed  that  they 
would  be  educated,  and  it  remained  for  us  to 
say  whether  infidels  and  Romanists  should 
have  them,  or  whether  we  will  educate  them 
for  God.  The  Conference  reaffirmed  its  con- 
fidence in  Rock  River  Seminary,  pledged  re- 
newed efforts  for  its  support,  and  agreed  to 
raise  five  cents  a  member  on  each  charge. 

A.  E.  Phelps  was  reappointed  to  the  agency, 
and  C.  C.  Olds  was  appointed  Principal ;  G.  L. 
S.  Stuff,  Pastor.  Philo  Judson  was  presiding 
elder  on  the  Mount  Morris  District.  J.  J. 
Hedstrom  was  appointed  to  the  Swedish  Mis- 
sion. He  was  a  younger  brother  of  Pastor 
Hedstrom,  of  the  Bethel  Mission  work  in  New 
York. 


AGENCY  OF  ROCK  RIVER  SEMINARY.          195 

The  last  General  Conference  had  set  off 
the  Wisconsin  Conference,  which  reported  in 
1849  a  membership  of  7,211.  Chauncey  Ho- 
bart,  Francis  Smith,  John  Luccock,  W.  J. 
Miller,  David  Brooks,  Henry  Summers,  Elihu 
Springer,  I.  H.  Leihy,  and  C.  G.  Lathrop 
were  in  that  Conference. 

Mr.  Phelps  continued  his  work  for  the  Sem- 
inary with  unabated  interest.  He  was  so  ab- 
sorbed with  business  that  he  scarcely  took 
time  to  see  to  his  own  wants  or  those  of 
his  family.  One  day  he  'went  out  to  hunt  his 
cow,  and  found  one  that  he  thought  looked 
like  his  own.  In  passing  a  neighboring  house 
he  called  out,  "Sister  Gruble,  is  this  your 
cow?"  She  replied,  "Why,  no;  it  is  yours." 
He  answered,  "I  thought  so,  but  was  not  sure 
of  it."  Sister  Gruble  greatly  enjoyed  the  joke. 
Although  a  close  observer,  his  mind  was  so 
heavily  burdened  with  the  business  of  the 
agency  that  such  a  mistake  was  a  matter  of 
course. 

In  1849  Conference  met  at  Rockford,  on 
July  1 7th.  A.  Fisher,  P.  T.  Rhodes,  and  six 
others,  were  received  on  trial.  The  Confer- . 
ence  reported  14,679  members,  including  pro- 
bationers, and  reported  $1,410  for  missionary 
money.  The  indebtedness  of  the  Seminary 


196     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

was  reported  at  $10,000;  available  notes, 
bonds,  $14,045.35  ;  collected,  $1,885.21  ;  new 
subscriptions,  $3,000.  Hooper  Crews  was 
appointed  to  the  agency  of  Mount  Morris 
Seminary.  R.  Haney  went  to  Clark  Street, 
Chicago;  R.  A.  Blanchard,  to  Canal  Street; 
Z.  Hall,  to  Indiana  Chapel ;  J.  F.  Devore,  to 
Waukegan,  P.  T.  Rhodes  to  Mercer.  A.  E. 
Phelps  was  appointed  to  Galena  Station. 

It  was  a  long  move  for  him.  It  would  have 
been  pleasant  for  his  family  to  have  remained 
in  Mount  Morris,  but  he  was  thoroughly  tired 
of  the  agency.  Yet  the  death  of  his  dear 
child  had  made  a  deep  wound  upon  his  heart, 
and  he  felt  loth  to  turn  away  and  seek  a  home 
elsewhere.  Otherwise  the  appointment  was 
satisfactory,  and  the  reader  will  find  him  next 
actively  engaged  in  the  work  of  his  new 
charge. 


CHAPTER  EIGHTH. 

PASTORATE    AT    GALENA. 

Situation  of  the  City — The  Home  of  Ex-President  Grant — 
Dr.  J.  H.  Vincent's  Pastonite — Mr.  Phelps's  Lecture  on  Infidel- 
ity— Rev.  Matthew  Sorin — Letter  to  his  Father-in-Law — The 
Winnebago  Swamps — Preached  at  Toulon — Decease  of  Benj. 
F.  IJestor — Conference  at  Plain  field,  111. — Bishop  Hamline — The 
Appointments — Cholera  in  Galena — Birth  of  a  Little.  Daugh- 
ter— Debate  with  Rev.  Mr.  Ly.ons — Success  of  his  Protracted 
Meeting — Appeal  to  a  Wealthy  Man — Scene  in  a  Shop — Close 
of  his  Meeting — One  Hundred  and  Thirty  Accessions — Family 
Sickness — Trip  to  St.  Paul — Visits  Minnehaha  Falls — Rev. 
Chauncey  Hobart — Diligence  as  a  Pastor — Entries  in  his  Pass- 
book—  Family  Government  —  Controversy  with  Rev.  John 
Hughes — Conference  at  Peoria — Bishop  Waugh — Expulsion  of 
J.  C.  Parks — Appointments. 

GALENA,  situated  on  the  Galena  River, 
was  then  rapidly  developing.  The  lead 
mines  in  that  vicinity  contributed  to  its  growth. 
There  were  many  miners  there.  The  reader 
will  remember  that  this  city  was  formerly  the 
home  of  ex-President  Grant.  The  Methodist 
pulpit  was  generally  filled  by  able  men,  a  cus- 
tom which  continues  notwithstanding  the  de- 
cline in  the  prosperity  of  the  city.  Dr.  J.  H. 
Vincent  was  once  pastor  there.  The  city  is 
situated  in  a  romantic  region,  several  miles 

197 


198      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

from  the  Mississippi  River.  There  was  much 
smelting  done  there  then,  and  many  strangers 
there  in  quest  of  ore. 

Mr.  Phelps  soon  reached  his  new  field  of 
labor,  and  resided  on  Bench  Street.  He  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  his  charge  with  much 
vigor.  He  soon  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  floating  populace,  and  the  people  went  in 
crowds  to  hear  him  preach.  He  had  great 
faith  in  the  Gospel,  and  presented  it  in  its 
purity  with  much  power.  Many  wicked  peo- 
ple heard  the  message  with  delight.  He  found 
much  infidelity  there,  and  delivered  a  series 
of  lectures  on  the  subject  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  crowds  in  attendance.  Rev.  Matthew 
Sorin,  then  a  superannuate,  warmly  sustained 
this  attack  upon  the  powers  of  darkness  and 
delivered  lectures  on  the  same  subject,  with 
like  good  success.  A  powerful  revival  followed. 
The  following  letters  and  notes  may  be  of 
interest : 

GALENA,  ILL.,  September  5,  1849. 

"DEAR  FATHER,  —  One  week  ago  I  arrived  with 
my  family  and  goods  in  my  new  field  of  labor,  which 
was  the  29th,  of  August.  We  are  comfortably  situ- 
uated  in  a  good  house,  in  a  convenient  part  of  the 
city,  on  Bench  Street.  We  are  much  pleased  with 
our  new  friends  and  home.  George  is  going  to  an 
academy  at  seven  dollars  per  quarter;  Mary  and  Joseph 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  199 

go  to  the  select  school  at  four  dollars.  The  Church 
here  is  comparatively  poor,  and  in  debt.  We  have 
had  one  death  by  cholera,  and  the  small-pox  is  here. 
Religion  is  at  a  low  ebb,  but  we  are  expecting  some 
prosperity.  Yours,  affectionately, 

"A.  E.  PHELPS." 

On  September  9,  1849,  he  wrote  of  the 
death  of  Mrs.  Mary  Babb,  of  Lacon,  Illinois, 
widow  of  the  late  General  J.  Babb.  She  "  could 
say  nothing  until  just  before  death,  when  she 
said  'All  is  well.''  He  styled  her  a  "noble 
Christian  woman."  The  meeting,  held  during 
nine  weeks,  was  a  glorious  success.  Rev.  M. 
Sorin  rendered  efficient  help.  Seventy-nine 
united  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

In  the  Spring  the  gold  excitement  car- 
ried many  to  California.  Many  went  from  Ga- 
lena; four  stewards,  three  trustees,  and  about 
twenty  other  Methodists  went.  Mr.  Phelps 
still  worked  away  vigorously.  Writing  to  his 
father-in-law,  he  thus  describes  his  labors : 

"I  preach,  twice  each  Sabbath  and  once  on 
Wednesday  night;  conduct  two  prayer-meetings,  and 
meet  two  or  three  class-meetings,  and  teach  a  large 
Bible  class.  We  have  leaders'-meeting  every  other 
Monday  night.  And  besides  all  this  I  am  called  upon 
to  attend  a  great  many  funerals.  We  have  nearly 
two  hundred  and  fifty  Church  members,  which  I 
visit  regularly  every  month.  California  is  robbing 
thousands  of  wives  of  husbands,  and  children  of 


2OO      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

fathers.     I   presume  that  Rebecca  and  Martha  Ann 
are  gloomy  and  despondent." 

Some  time  after  this  he  made  a  visit  to  his 
friends  at  Toulon.  Whilst  crossing  .the  Win- 
nebago  Swamp,  "Dad  Joe"  attempted  to  pilot 
them  across  Inlet  Creek  with  a  blind  horse 
kept  for  that  purpose.  The  horse  made  a 
slight  mistake,  and  the  wheels  of  the  buggy 
ran  off  the  corduroy  bridge — which  was  now 
all  under  water — and  Mr.  Phelps  leaped  out 
into  water  waist  deep.  Little  Mary  and  Jo- 
seph thinking  that  all  was  lost,  fell  upon  their 
knees  in  prayer  in  the  bottom  of  the  buggy. 
When  their  father  looked  up  and  saw  them, 
he  could  not  resist  laughing;  and  could  never 
tell  it  afterwards  without  a  hearty  laugh.  He 
changed  his  clothes  in  an  old  deserted  cabin, 
in  which  crime  had  been  committed  by  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Western  banditti. 

Whilst  at  Toulon,  at  the  persistent  and 
earnest  request  of  his  old  friends,  he  preached 
a  cheering  sermon.  He  delighted  to  meet 
with  old  friends,  of  whom  he  had  many  on  his 
charges  and  districts.  He  seemed  to  know 
exactly  how  to  adapt  himself  perfectly  to  men, 
women,  and  children  of  all  ages,  and  was  alike 
interesting  to  all.  He  was  a  close  student  of 
men  as  well  as  of  books. 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  201 

During  this  year  Benjamin  F.  Bester  died 
on  the  Peru  Circuit,  of  bilious  colic.  "Though 
ardently  attached  to  his  interesting  family, 
when  informed  he  must  die,  he  first  committed 
the  care  of  his  charge  to  his  God  and  Savior^ 
then,  bidding  his  family  farewell,  he  sweetly 
fell  asleep."  Absalom  Shinn  was  taken  sick 
on  the  Washington  Circuit,  and,  being  unable 
to  continue  his  work,  he  returned  to  Canton, 
and  spent  the  remainder  .of  his  short  life  in 
exemplifying  the  power  of  the  atoning  blood. 
He  was  as  calm  as  a  Summer's  evening, 
and  thus  passed  home  on  the  second  day  of 
August,  1849. 

Freeborn  Haney  died  at  St.  Charles,  Au- 
gust 6,  1849.  He  had  been  stationed  at  Knox- 
ville,  Indiana  Street,  Chicago,  Ottawa,  and 
St.  Charles  since  his  connection  with  Rock 
River  Conference.  He  died  of  cholera.  Be- 
ing asked  if  he  had  any  message  for  his  breth- 
ren of  the  Conference,  he  said,  "Tell  them  I 
have  not  been  as  faithful  as  I  ought,  but  the 
religion  I  have  preached  to  others  for  nine 
years  now  powerfully  supports  me  in  death." 

Conference  met  at  Plainfield,  Will  County, 
111.,  July  17,  1850. 

PLAINFIELD,  July  17,  1850. 

"My  DEAR  WIFE  AND  CHILDREN,  —  I  have  sel- 
dom when  absent  felt  so  much  anxiety  of  mind  about 


2O2      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

my  family.  I  understand  there  is  cholera  in  Rock 
Island,  Pekin,  Peoria,  Magnolia,  and  other  places; 
and  as  the  weather  has  been  intensely  hot,  I  am  very 
fearful  it  has  found  its  way  to  Galena  before  this 
time.  I  wish  I  had  brought  you  all  to  Mt.  Morris, 
and  left  you  there.  My  health  has  not  been  good; 
I  have  suffered  much  from  cold  and  dyspepsia.  I 
have  received  nothing  from  you  yet.  I  wait  with 
great  impatience.  Conference  opens  this  morning. 
The  committees  have  been  closely  engaged  for  two 
days.  The  bishop  and  his  family  are  here  in  very 
feeble  health.  He  takes  his  wife  and  son  with  him 
to  bury  him,  as  he  does  not  know  at  what  moment 
he  will  drop  off.  His  disease  is  the  enlargement  of 
the  heart.  Most  of  the  preachers  are  here.  I  will 
not  finish  this  letter  until  to-morrow;  perhaps  I  may 
get  one  from  you  to-day. 

"It  is  now  Thursday  afternoon,  the  i8th  of  July, 
and  yet  no  letter  from  you.  Oh  what  anxiety  I  feel 
to  hear  from  home.  I  have  preached  the  funeral 
sermon  to-day  of  Sister  Jacobs,  formerly  of  Wash- 
ington. You  knew  her.  She  had  been  looking  for- 
ward to  Conference  with  a  great  deal  of  interest,  and 
had  petitioned  for  me  to  board  at  her  house.  Little 
did  she  think  then  that  I  would  preach  her  funeral 
sermon  the  second  day  of  Conference.  Oh  how 
uncertain  is  human  life.  Brother  Humphrey  has 
lost  his  wife  and  child  recently.  Conference  pro- 
gresses rapidly.  I  think  it  very  likely  that  I  may  be 
at  home  by  Saturday  week,  the  27th  of  this  month. 
Your  father's  family  is  well.  I  heard  from  brother 
Wooliscroft.  They  expect  us  on  that  circuit  next 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  203 

year.  How  would  you  like  it?  Tell  Jane  'that 
James  and  wife  are  well ;  he  is  as  fat  as  an  Irishman , 
has  been  doing  very  well  the  past  year ;  many  in- 
quiries about  her.  Brother  Barger  and  two  or  three 
other  brethren  are  here  from  Illinois  Conference.  I 
believe  I  will  not  close  this  letter  until  morning,  to 
see  if  I  can  not  get  one  from  you.  It  is  now  Fri- 
day, and  still  no  letter  from  home ;  I  am  in  great 
distress.  I  must  now  close,  as  my  hands  are  full 
every  moment.  I  think  I  may  be  at  home  by  the 
time  this  letter  reaches  you.  Excuse  my  haste. 
"Your  affectionate  husband, 

"A.  E.  PHELPS." 

Bishop  Hamline  presided.  Philo  Judson 
was  the  secretary.  Of  the  seventeen  received 
on  trial  were  S.  A.  W.  Jewett,  James  Baume, 
Henderson  Ritchie,  John  P.  Brooks,  Wilbur 
M'Kaig,  A.  Errickson,  and  Silas  Searl.  The 
increase  in  membership  was  two  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  fifty-two.  Contributed  for  mis- 
sions, two  thousand  and  forty-eight  dollars  and 
eighty-four  cents ;  for  Sunday-school  Union, 
sixty-six  dollars  and  fifty-two  cents.  Philo 
Judson,  John  Morey,  Henry  Whitehead,  and 
Wesley  Batchelor  were  among  the  superannu- 
ates. Professor  C.  C.  Olds  was  transferred  to 
the  Michigan  Conference.  Henderson  Ritchie 
was  on  the  Washington  Circuit  with  W.  C. 
Cummings  in  charge,  and  walked  all  the  way 


2O4     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

from  Greencastle,  where  he  had  been  attend- 
ing the  Indiana  Asbury  University,  to  his  new 
circuit.  A.  Wooliscroft  was  on  the  Knox- 
ville  Circuit ;  Wilbur  M'Kaig  was  the  junior 
preacher.  John  P. ;  Brooks  was  the  junior 
preacher  at  Macomb.  Silas  Searl  was  pro- 
fessor of  languages  in  Rock  River  Seminary. 
James  Baume  was  the  junior  preacher  at  St. 
Charles.  S.  A.  W,  Jewett  was  in  charge  of 
Wheeling  Circuit.  The  class  of  this  year  was 
remarkable  for  the  ability  of  its  members. 
A.  E.  Phelps  was  returned  to  Galena ;  Richard 
Haney  was  his  presiding  elder. 

On  August  2  ist  he  wrote  to  his  father-in-law : 

"Through  the  mercy  of  God  we  are  still  alive 
and  on  our  feet.  The  work  of  death  is  still  going 
on.  In  thirty-six  hours  after  the  cholera  reached 
here  sixty  citizens  had  fallen  victims  to  it.  The 
hearses  go  day  and  night.  It  is  the  most  fatal  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  city.  We  have  lost  some  of 
our  best  members.  In  one  family  near  us,  five  out 
of  seven  have  died  ;  a  father  and  four  children,  leav- 
ing a  mother  and  babe  three  weeks  old.  I  must 
stop  and  attend  a  funeral.  Such  a  scene  of  distress 
as  we  have  had  before  us  the  last  t\vo  or  three  clays 
is  seldom  kno\vn  anywhere.  I  have  taken  my  wife 
to  the  hill  back  half  a  mile  from  the  scene  of  dis- 
tress;  she  wants  me  to  leave  too,  but  this  would  not 
be  right.  Much  cloudy  weather  and  rain  for  the  last 
five  days.  Have  run  until  I  am  almost  worn  out." 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  205 

When  Richard  Haney  came  round  to  his 
quarterly-meeting  he  found  him  at  his  post. 
Little  Joseph  told  the  presiding  elder  that  his 
teacher  would  not  kneel  during  prayer  at  the 
opening.  Elder  Haney  said,  "Well,  Joe,  I'll 
tell  you  what  to  do ;  the  next  time,  when  she 
gets  done  reading  her  Scriptural  lesson,  go  up 
and  kneel  down  at  her  table  and  I  will  give 
you  a  quarter  oj  a  dollar."  "Joe"  promised 
to  do  so,  and  kept  his  promise  to  the  letter, 
and  received  his  "quarter."  That  teacher 
knelt  ever  after  that. 

In  October  he  received  an  affectionate  letter 
from  Joshua  Barret,  assuring  him  of  the  con- 
tinued friendship  of  his  old  acquaintances  at 
Mount  Vernon,  and  stating  that  they  had,  at 
their  own  expense,  made  some  improvements 
on  his  lot  there.  January  i4th,  he  wrote  to  his 
father-in-law  that  "on  January  n,  1851,  his 
wife  had  presented  him  with  a  little  daughter, 
'fairest  of  all.'  George  is  almost  ready  to  eat 
it  up.  I  have  commenced  a  meeting,  and  have 
no  help,  not  even  an  exhorter.  The  church 
has  been  well  filled  for  several  months." 

He  had  just  closed  a  debate  at  Elizabeth 
with  a  "Disciple,"  of  Rev.  W.  Miller.  Rev. 
Lyons  had  been  making  many  proselytes  from 
other  Churches,  including  some  Methodists. 


206     TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Mr.  Phelps  met  him  and  so  overpowered  him 
in  a  few  hours,  that  he  deliberately  walked 
o'ut  of  the  house  and  left  for  parts  unknown. 
Subsequently  he  was  arrested  and  convicted 
of  bigamy.  He  served  out  his  time,  but  did 
not  return  to  his  wife  in  Illinois.  He  was  soon 
married  again  somewhere  in  the  East.  After 
this  discussion  Mr.  Phelps  wrote,  "  I  do  not 
like  such  business,  and  hope  hereafter  that 
duty  will  never  again  call  me  into  the  field." 
His  meeting  was  a  glorious  success.  One 
evening  the  pastor  went  to  a  prominent  citizen 
present  and  invited  him  to  come  at  once  to  the 
altar  of  prayer.  The  gentleman  felt  insulted, 
and  as  he  had  been  a  strong  financial  sup- 
porter of  the  Church,  some  of  the  official  mem- 
bers broached  the  subject  to  Mr.  Phelps  in  a 
shop,  where  they  incidentally  met,  telling  him 
his  zeal  had  been  misguided,  and  that  he  must 
apologize,  or  he  would  be  the  loser  by  it,  as 
this  man  would  certainly  withdraw  his  sup- 
port. The  pastor  listened  a  few  moments, 
then  sprang  to  his  feet  and  said:  "My  God! 
has  it  come  to  this,  that  a  Methodist  preacher 
can  not  invite  sinners  to  go  to  the  altar  o/ 
prayer  and  seek  the  salvation  of  their  souls 
without  being  reproved  for  it  by  his  own  official 
members?  Let  us  pray."  In  a  short  time 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  207 

all  in  the  shop  were  weeping,  and  in  a  few 
days  the  wealthy  man  was  most  powerfully 
converted.  The  brethren  saw  their  error,  and 
heartily  supported  the  conduct  of  their  faith- 
ful pastor. 

On  April  20,  1851,  he  wrote: 

"Our  meeting  lasted  over  nine  weeks;  had  no 
help  at  all — two  services  a  day  for  many  weeks. 
Have  been  more  than  a  hundred  conversions,  and 
one  hundred  and  thirty  accessions  to  our  Church. 
Our  brethren  are  about  organizing  a  new 
charge  in  the  city,  and  hope  to  secure  my  appoint- 
ment to  it.  ...  My  health  is  declining ;  was 
in  bed  last  week.  We  are  still  trying  to  live  for  a 
better  world." 

On  May  6th  he  wrote  of  the  sickness  of 
their  babe:  "Had  spasms,  two  in  quick  suc- 
cession. There  was  much  sickness  in  the  city. 
Funerals  take  up  much  of  my  time.  The 
weather  has  been  cold  since  the  first  of  the 
month."  He  had  heard  news  involving  the 
pastor  at  Peoria  in  serious  difficulty,  but  hoped 
it  was  not  true.  "All  goes  pleasantly  here 5 
our  house  is  still  crowded,  and  people  often 
go  away  for  want  of  room." 

His  health  was  poor,  a  result  of  overwork. 
Early  in  the  season  he  took  a  trip  to  St.  Paul, 
in  company  with  his  family,  by  a  boat  called  the 
Nominee.  The  captain  was  acquainted  with 


208     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

him,  and  took  them  the  round  trip  for  twenty 
dollars.  An  act  of  kindness  to  a  disciple  in 
the  name  of  a  disciple  is  not  without  its 
reward.  While  stopping  to  "wood"  the  good 
captain  quite  reversed  his  charitable  manifes- 
tations by  scaring  the  crowds  of  Indians  almost 
out  of  their  wits,  by  several  quick  deafening 
blasts  from  his  engine.  The  poor  fellows  fell 
flat  on  their  faces  at  the  first  blast,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  the  passengers  of  the 
Nominee. 

Mrs.  Phelps  remained  at  St.  Paul  whilst 
her  husband  and  eldest  son,  George  H.,  vis- 
ited Minnehaha  Falls.  Chauncey  Hobart  was 
their  pastor  at  St.  Paul,  and  gave  the  family 
many  marks  of  kindness  and  friendship.  In  a 
few  days  the  Nominee  bore  them  back  to  their 
home  in  Illinois. 

As  a  pastor  he  was  industrious  to  a  fault, 
if  possible.  In  July,  1850,  about  the  24th,  he 
was  appointed  the  second  time  to  Galena.  In 
two  months  he  wrote  in  a  pass-book,  "I  com- 
menced my  second  round  of  pastoral  visita- 
tions on  the  i6th  day  of  September,  1850." 
At  a  later  date  he  added,  "Again,  December 
24,  1850."  Thus  he  had  been  "round"  twice 
in  five  months,  and  had  started  on  the  third 
round.  During  the  revival  season  his  labors, 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  209 

including  much  pastoral  work,  must  have  been 
very  abundant.  He  also  taught  his  children 
to  work.  During  his  first  year  at  Galena  he 
hired  George  to  Mr.  Packard  at  two  dollars 
per  week.  Some  time  subsequently  he  again 
wrote,  "  George  Harris  commenced,  on  the 
ist  day  of  August,  1850,  to  clerk  for  Mr. 
Packard  at  fifteen  dollars  per  month."  He  re- 
quired George,  who  boarded  at  home,  to  cut 
three  sticks  of  wood  each  morning  before  going 
to  the  store.  One  morning  George  neglected 
to  cut  his  wood ;  his  father  went  to  the  store 
and  told  him  he  must  cut  the  wood.  He, 
of  course,  asked  permission  of  his  employer, 
who  at  first  hesitated ;  but  when  Mr.  Phelps 
explained  his  reasons  for  such  a  requirement, 
he  cheerfully  yielded,  and  George  went  back 
home  and  cut  the  "three  sticks  of  wood." 
This  may  seem  like  a  small  thing  to  mention  in 
a  volume  like  this.  Life  is  made  up  of  little 
things,  and  no  man  or  woman  can  be  truly 
great  and  neglect  trifles.  The  Bible  requires 
"deacons"  and  "bishops  to  rule  their  own 
house  well."  He  was  equally  careful  in  his 
attendance  to  business.  Hundreds  of  entries 
indicate  how  exceedingly  careful  he  was  to 
make  notes  of  every  thing  of  a  temporal  as 
well  as  spiritual  nature.  The  texts  he  used 

18 


2io     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

during  his  pastorate  at  Galena  are  all  on  rec- 
ord ;  also  on  his  different  districts. 

In  1851 — some  say  1850 — he  held  a  dis- 
cussion with  Rev.  John  Hughes,  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  (Campbellite,  so-called),  at  Ver- 
mont, Illinois.  That  Church  was  then  very 
popular.  The  Presbyterians  and  Methodists 
were  weak,  and  struggled  to  maintain  a  hold 
on  the  people.  Dr.  Hughes  was  an  eloquent 
speaker  and  successful  revival  preacher.  One 
Sunday  morning,  before  baptizing  several  can- 
didates of  Methodist  antecedents,  he  chal- 
lenged the  whole  world  to  confute  his  positions 
on  baptism.  Some  of  the  Methodist  brethren 
immediately  sent  the  challenge  to  Mr.  Phelps. 
In  a  few  days  he  knocked  at  Dr.  Hughes's 
door,  and  told  him  he  had  come  to  accept 
his  challenge.  The  propositions  for  discussion 
were:  i.  Baptism  by  immersion  is  the  only 
valid  mode.  2.  Sprinkling  or  pouring  was 
practiced  during  the  first  century,  and  is  valid 
baptism.*  3.  That  infant  baptism  is  valid, 
and  was  practiced  in  the  primitive  church. 
Dr.  Hughes  affirmed  the  first,  Mr.  Phelps  the 
second  and  third.  The  discussion  was  to  be 
held  in  the  "Christian  Church."  It  then  had 
a  membership  of  near  five  hundred. 

*  Rev.  W..J.  Smith's  letter  to  the  author,  July  9,  1877. 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  211 

They  promptly  agreed  upon  all  the  terms 
for  an  immediate  discussion.*  "  Every  body 
was  at  once  excited,  and  viewed  the  little  man 
Phelps  as  a  used-up  man.  The  first  day's 
discussion  I  sat  as  moderator ;  and,  being 
warmly  in  sympathy  with  Dr.  Hughes,  I  felt, 
after  the  opening  speech,  that  his  victory 
would  be  complete.  Mr.  Phelps's  reply  was 
mild,  but  full.  Dr.  Hughes's  second  speech  I 
felt  was  a  good  one,  and  could  not  see  how 
Mr.  Phelps  could  answer  it;  but  the  answer 
came.  I  then  felt  that  every  position  taken 
by  Dr.  Hughes  was  completely  overthrown. 
I  began  to  feel  alarmed,  but  hoped  that  Dr. 
Hughes  would  be  able  to  right  himself  up. 
In  the  evening  we  met  again.  Dr.  Hughes 
repeated  his  former  positions  and  arguments. 
I  was  beat.  Mr.  Phelps's  reply  was  over- 
whelming, and  his  testimony  and  arguments  in 
defense  of  his  mode  of  baptism  were  endless 
and  powerful.  Dr.  Hughes  never  made  an- 
other argument,  but  commenced  exhorting  his 
members  not  to  be  led  away  nor  deceived  by 
this  man  Phelps.  After  Mr.  Hughes  failed  to 
present  any  argument,  Mr.  Phelps  would  pre- 
sent the  very  strongest  '  Disciple '  theory  of 
baptism  for  him,  and  then  answer  it. 

*Hon.  Thomas  Hamer,  to  the  author,  June  27,  1877. 


212      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"  The  discussion  closed  after  the  second 
day,  Dr.  Hughes  failing  to  come  to  time.  Mr. 
Phelps  preached  for  the  Methodist  people, 
and  left  for  his  home.  A  complete  revolution 
in  religious  feeling  took  place.  The  Method- 
ists commenced  gaining  ground  ;  the  Presby- 
terians revived,  and  built  a  new  church.  The 
'  Disciples '  have  not  to  this  day  recovered 
from  the  shock.  Some  of  their  best  members 
have  since  joined  the  Methodists. 

"  I  have  heard  many  discussions,  and  strong 
debaters ;  but  I  must  say  Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps 
was  the  strongest  and  best  debater  I  have  ever 
heard.  He  had  a  fine  flow  of  language,  a 
memory  without  fault,  and  was  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  his  subject.  He  could  quote  any 
and,  I  believe,  every  Scripture  in  the  Bible 
from  memory." 

At  the  close  of  his  labors  in  Galena  there 
were  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  members  and 
one  hundred  and  twelve  probationers ;  total, 
two  hundred  and  seventy. 

Conference  met  at  Peoria,  July  16,  1851. 
Bishop  Waugh  was  President;  R.  Haney  was 
Principal  Secretary.  The  increase  in  member- 
ship was  fourteen  hundred  and  forty-five.  J.  C. 
Parks  was  expelled  from  the  Church.  He  was 
the  pastor  in  Peoria.  The  sad  reports  referred 


PASTORATE  AT  GALENA.  213 

to  in  Mr.  Phelps's  letter  proved  too  true. 
The  effect  on  the  Church  in  Peoria  was  bad. 
The  membership,  from  a  total  of  three  hun- 
dred and  three,  fell  to  two  hundred  and  forty- 
five.  '  D.  A.  Faulkenbury,  G.  W.  Miller,  W. 
J.  Beck,  S.  B.  Baker,  M.  P.  Sweet,  Elijah 
Ransom,  and  ten  others,  were  received  on 
trial.  William  Royal  had  died  on  Livingston 
Circuit.  No  obituary  appears  in  the  Minutes. 
He  was  a  good  man,  and  had  a  more  endur- 
ing record.  The  presiding  elders  were,  John 
Sinclair,  O.  A.  Walker,  John  Chandler,  Milton 
Bourne,  A.  E.  Phelps,  Richard  Haney,  and 
Luke  Hitchcock.  Galena  was  left  to  be  sup- 
plied. John  P.  Brooks  was  sent  to  Galena 
Mission.  G.  W.  Miller  went  to  Mackinaw 
Mission.  Elijah  Ransom  was  junior  preacher 
on  Crystal  Lake  Circuit.  W.  J.  Beck  was  at 
Marietta  as  junior  preacher,  with  W.  J.  Smith. 
Henderson  Ritchie  was  junior  preacher,  with 
R.  N.  Morse,  on  Lancaster  Circuit.  . 

The  Church  in  Galena  had  grown  finely 
during  Mr.  Phelps's  pastorate.  He  had  lived 
in  the  atmosphere  of  a  perpetual  revival.  His 
congregations  had  been  very  large.  He  had 
made  numerous  friends,  and  become  much  at- 
tached to  that  locality.  The  atmosphere  was 
bracing,  and  the  scenery  romantic.  He  loved 


214      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

his  Galena  home.  The  people  almost  idolized 
him  as  their  pastor.  His  term  had  expired — 
the  Church  commanded,  and  he  must  enter 
anew  upon  the  responsible  position  of  presid- 
ing elder.  He  loved  the  pastorate,  because  it 
brought  him  quiet  and  rest  at  home  in  the 
bosom  of  his  affectionate  family.  He  could 
labor  to  better  advantage  when  relieved  from 
anxiety  about  the  dear  home  circle.  But  he 
loved  the  Church  better  than  home,  friends, 
family, — and  cheerfully  accepted,  for  the  third 
time,  the  responsibilities  of  the  eldership  in 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


CHAPTER  NINTH. 

THIRD  TERM  IN  THE  ELDERSHIP— ROCK  ISLAND 
DISTRICT. 

Rock  Island  City — Black  Hawk — Preachers  of  his  Dis- 
trict— Resides  at  Princeton — Delegates  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence— Discussion  with  Rev.  Oliver  Barr  —  Subsequent  Corre- 
spondence— Preached  for  Rev.  H.  J.  Humphrey — Death  of 
Mrs.  G.  L.  S.  Stuff — Quarterly-meeting  in  Lafayette — Sermon 
on  Baptism — Elder  Gross — Sermon  on  Baptism  at  Galesburg — 
President  Blanchard  in  Tears — Sketches  of  Sermons. 

THE  Rock  Island  District  then  extended 
from  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Illinois. 
Rock  Island  City  was  a  growing  town,  of  con- 
siderable importance.  The  locality  was  ren- 
dered famous  by  the  persistent  refusal  of 
Black  Hawk  to  vacate  it  for  the  use  of  the 
white  man.  The  old  chief  loved  his  home  very 
dearly,  no  doubt;  but  the  tides  of  civilization 
swept  on,  and  bore  him  and  his  wasting  tribe 
west  of  the  Father  of  Waters.  Emigrants 
poured  into -the  great  Mississippi  Valley,  and 
swarmed  into  the  river  towns  and  the  groves 
along  tributary  streams. 

It  was  truly,  an  inviting  field  of  labor  to  a 

215 


216      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

man  who  was  willing  to  endure  hardships  for 
the  cause  of  Christ.  In  many  portions  of  the 
district  the  settlements  were  heavy ;  in  other 
portions  it  was  still  almost  a  wilderness. 

A.  E.  Phelps  was  appointed  to  the  Rock 
Island  District.  It  comprised  thirteen  pastoral 
charges.  George  L.  S.  Stuff  was  at  Rock 
Island ;  Benjamin  Applebee,  at  Moline ;  Mat- 
thew Hanna,  at  Union  Grove;  J.  H.  D.  Moore, 
at  Prophetstown ;  Martin  P.  Sweet,  at  Prince- 
ton Mission ;  Lorenzo  Whipple,  at  Dover ; 
Troy  Grove  Mission,  Don  Alonzo  Faulken- 
bury;  Henry,  J.  C.  Pinkard,  and  S.  B.  Baker; 
Lafayette,  Christopher  Lazenby  and  William 
Calhoon ;  Wethersfield,  Justus  M.  Hinman; 
Swede  Mission,  J.  J.  Hedstrom,  A.  Errickson, 
and  A.  G.  Swedeborg;  New  Boston,  John 
Morey ;  Camden,  John  Grundy. 

Elder  Phelps  decided  to  locate  his  family 
at  Princeton.  He  moved  his  goods  in  wagons. 
It  was  rainy,  and  his  furniture,  carpets,  and 
bedding  were  much  injured.  He  purchased  a 
house  on  Main  Street.  Princeton  was  then  a 
growing  town,  principally  noted  as  the  home 
of  Hon.  Owen  Lovejoy.  The  people  were  in- 
telligent and  thrifty.  The  locality  was  well 
chosen  as  the  head-quarters  of  Rock  Island 
District.  He  opened  his  work  on  the  district 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  217 

with  much  zeal.  He  had  been  elected  dele- 
gate to  General  Conference,  to  meet  at  Boston, 
Mass.,  May  i,  1852.  Richard  Haney,  S.  P. 
Keyes,  Luke  Hitchcock,  and  John  Chandler 
were  his  associate  delegates.  All  were  pre- 
siding elders  except  Stephen  P.  Keyes,  who 
was  pastor  of  the  Clark  Street  Church,  Chi- 
cago. The  time  between  the  session  of  the 
Rock  River  Conference  and  the  General  Con- 
ference in  May  was  crowded  with  work. 

On  October  29/1851,  he  met  Rev.  Oliver 
Barr,*  of  the  New  Light  or  Christian  Church, 
at  Blackberry,  Illinois.  Mr.  Barr  was  a  prom- 
inent man  in  his  denomination,  and  popular 
with  the  people  in  that  vicinity.  He  was 
courteous  and  gentlemanly.  His  vocal  organs 
gave  out,  and  Mr.  Phelps  pursued  the  discus- 
sion of  the  subject  alone,  to  an  excited  audi- 
ence. Further  discussion  was  then  postponed 
to  such  a  time  as  would  enable  Mr.  Barr  to 
resume. 

This  introduction  to  the  correspondence  in 
the  Winter  and  Spring,  on  the  same  subject, 
will  render  the  exchange  of  letters,  here  in- 
serted, transparent  to  the  reader. 


*Rev.  Oliver  Barr  had  challenged  Rev.  Seymour  Stover 
to  debate  doctrinal  differences,  and  he  called  upon  Elder  Phelps 
to  represent  our  Church. 

19 


218      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"AURORA,  KANE  COUNTY,  ILL.,  February  4,  1852. 
"REV.  A.  E.  PHELPS, — Dear  Sir:  It  was  mutu- 
ally agreed  between  us,  at  the  close  of  the  discussion 
at  Blackberry,  Kane  County,  last  Fall,  that  when  my 
vocal  organs  (which  unfortunately  failed  at  that  time) 
became  sufficiently  restored,  so  that  I  could  hope  to 
proceed  with  our  discussion,  I  was  to  give  you  notice 
of  the  fact,  and  then  you  were  to  decide  the  time 
when  the  discussion  should  be  resumed  at  Henry, 
Marshall  ^County,  111.  I  now  inform  you  that  I  will 
be  ready  to  resume  the  discussion  at  the  time  you 
appoint, — only  informing  you  that  I  am  much  from 
home,  and  requesting  that  you  will  fix  the  time  so 
that  I  may  have  due  notice  and  sufficient  time  to 
reach  the  appointed  place.  As  we  are  already  ad- 
monished that  my  enfeebled  vocal  organs  may  possi- 
bly fail  again,  I  will  give  you  the  assurance  of  fur- 
nishing a  worthy  and  responsible  substitute,  to  speak 
at  such  a  time  or  times  as  I  may  not  be  able.  Hence 
each  affirmative  may  choose  his  own  time  of  closing 
on  his  proposition.  With  the  hopeful  assurance  that 
the  discussion  will  proceed  without  interruption  to 
a  satisfactory  issue,  Mr.  Worley  will  bear  this  to  you 
and  receive  your  answer,  which  he  will  forward  to 
me.  With  sentiments  of  high  esteem,  I  am 

"Yours,  respectfully,           OLIVER  BARR." 

"  PRINCETON,  ILL.,  February  26,  1852. 
"REV.  OLIVER  BARR, — Dear  Sir:  Having  this 
moment  received  your  letter  of  the  4th  inst. ,  I  sit 
down  immediately  to  return  an  answer.  I  had  long 
looked  for  such  a  communication  from  you,  until  I 
had  almost  despaired  of  receiving  one.  I  very  much 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  219 

regret  that  it  lias  been  so  long  delayed,  as  it  will 
now  be  impracticable  for  me  to  enter  into  such  a 
discussion  till  after  our  General  Conference  ;  and 
hence  it  must  be  deferred  until  at  least  the  middle, 
or  perhaps  the  2Oth,  of  June.  My  engagements  are 
now  such  that  I  can  not  redeem  time  for  that  pur- 
pose before  leaving  for  the  East,  about  the  middle 
of  April.  My  quarterly-meeting  for  the  Henry  Cir- 
cuit will  be  on  the  ipth  and  2Oth  of  June,  and  I  will 
engage  to  meet  you  on  the  22d,  in  Henry,  if  the 
Lord  permits.  Yours,  in  haste. 

"A.   E.   PHELPS. 

"P.  S.  Please  write  me  at  this  place,  and  let  me 
know  whether  the  time  will  suit  you ;  that  is,  the 
22d  of  June  next.  A.  E.  P." 

"  AURORA,  March  3,  1852. 

"REV.  A.  E.  PHELPS, — Dear  Sir:  Your  favor  of 
the  26th  ult.  came  to  hand  this  day,  and  I  hasten  to 
respond.  In  reference  to  the  discussion  at  Henry 
you  say,  "I  Avill  engage  to  meet  you  on  the  22d 
of  June,  in  Henry,  if  the  Lord  permit."  I  accept 
that  time,  and,  if  no  providence  prevents,  will  then 
and  there  enter  upon  the  discussion,  and  pursue  it  to 
your  satisfaction,  or  till  all  the  propositions  have 
been  duly  investigated,  —  only  reserving  that  when 
my  organs  are  incompetent  for  speaking  I  will  em- 
ploy a  proxy.  Before  my  organs  had  obtained  suf- 
ficient strength  for  continued  speaking,  I  was  called 
off  by  our  'Corresponding  Secretary,'  into  Indiana 
and  Ohio,  on  the  duties  of  my  agency,  and  did  not 
return  till  a  few  days  before  I  addressed  my  note  to 
you.  This  was  my  reason  for  not  writing  sooner. 


22O      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

As  an  agent  I  can  not  control  my  own  time.     To- 
morrow I  leave  for  the  North-west. 

"Very  respectfully,  yours,         OLIVER  BARR." 

He  spent  much  of  his  time  in  the  Winter  in 
revival  meetings  in  his  district.  He  was  sent 
for  to  aid  Rev.  H.  J.  Humphrey  at  Hennepin, 
in  Peoria  District.  While  here,  he  preached  a 
powerful  sermon  against  the  doctrine  of  uncon- 
ditional salvation,  which  excited  much  discus- 
sion, and  which  will  be  noticed  hereafter. 

During  his  quarterly-meeting  at  New  Bos- 
ton, he  found  the  Church  in  the  midst  of  a  re- 
vival meeting.  The  Spiritualists  were  doing  all 
within  their  power  to  break  up  the  meeting.  The 
dancing-school,  then  in  full  blast,  heartily  sec- 
onded these  efforts,  and  the  meeting  was  se- 
riously hindered.  John  Morey  was  pastor  at 
that  time.  He  says  "He  preached  five  ser- 
mons that  surpassed  any  thing  I  ever  heard 
from  the  pulpit.  His  whole  soul  seemed  to 
flow  out  in  his  eloquent  utterances."  The  op- 
position to  the  meeting  withered  under  these 
sermons. 

Early  in  the  Spring  Rev.  G.  L.  S.  Stuff  was 
called  upon  to  bury  his  wife.  The  account 
given,  in  his  own  handwriting,  by  Elder  Phelps 
will  be  interesting  to  all  who  read  it.  It  is  a 
touching  tribute  to  a  humble  Christian  woman 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  221 

who  shared  the  labors  of  an  itinerant  preacher. 
The  Church  of  Wesley  and  Asbury  has  had 
many  such  noble  women,  and  has  them  yet. 
God  bless  them !  He  says : 

"She  was  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Harriet 
White,  and  born  in  the  State-  of  New  York,  August 
7,  1825,  and  was  married  to  her  no-.v  bereaved  hus- 
band at  Green  Bay,  February  18,  1845.  She  em- 
braced religion,  and  united  with  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  in  the  seventeenth  year  of  her  age. 
Her  early  Christian  experience  was  peaceful  and 
triumphant.  For  the  past  few  years  it  was  one  of 
severe  conflict  with  the  powers  of  darkness.  She 
was  subject  to  the  most  distressing  fears  and  temp- 
tations on  the  subject  of  her  acceptance  with  God. 
A  few  weeks  before  her  death,  after  a  long  and  pain- 
ful struggle,  Jacob-like  she  prevailed.  The  Angel 
of  the  Covenant  revealed  his  lovely  face.  Her  hus- 
band entering  her  room  at  the  close  of  this  contest, 
she  remarked,  'I  have  gained  the  victory,'  and  then 
added,  'I  have  reason  to  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
afflicting  rod,  as  it  has  led  me  into  such  light  and 
peace.  I  can  now  claim  Jesus  as  my  entire  Savior. 
I  feel  that  he  owns  me  for  his  child.  I  am  enabled 
to  give  all  up  into  his  hands.'  And  then  she  sang 
distinctly: 

"  'What  is  this  thai  steals  upon  niy  frame? 

Is  it  death,  is  it  deatli  ? 
If  this  be  death  I  soon  shall  be 
From  every  pain  and  sorrow  free.' 

"A  few  days  after,  she  said  to  Sister  Spencer: 
'I  enjoy  sweet  communion  with  my  Savior.' 


222      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"'Dear  Savior  let  they  beauties  be 

My  soul's  eternal  food  ; 
And  grace  command  my  heart  away 
From  all  created  good.' 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  before  her  death, 
she  suffered  severely,  and  indeed  all  night  more  or 
less;  she  remarked  in  the  night  that  her  end  was 
rapidly  approaching.  She  wished  to  converse  with 
her  husband  on  some  particular  subjects,  but  was  too 
much  exhausted.  In  the  morning  the  doctor  was 
called.  She  inquired  if  she  was  dying.  He  told 
her  she  Avas  near  her  end.  She  was  calm  and  hnppy. 
She  said,  '  Doctor,  seek  the  Lord  and  prepare  for 
heaven.  Nothing  but  the  consolation  of  religion 
can  sustain  in  such  an  hour  as  this."  She  then  gave 
some  special  directions  to  her  husband  in  relation  to 
their  only  little  daughter,  some  five  or  six  years  old. 
Finding  her  strength  fast  failing  her,  she  called  her 
dear  little  Mary  to  her,  and  in  the  most  affecting 
and  touching  manner  gave  her  her  dying  charge/ 
and  pronounced  upon  her  a  mother's  blessing.  She 
said  to  her  weeping  husband,  'Tell  my  father  for  his 
dying  child,  to  live  for  heaven  as  though  he  were 
now  dying.  Tell  my  brothers  to  seek  the  Lord  in 
their  youth.'  She  then  expired  without  a  struggle 
or  a  groan.  Her  end  was  as  calm  as  the  unruffled 
lake  at  Summer's  eve.  An  angelic  smile  rested 
upon  her  features  when  the  spirit  had  fled  to  the 
bosom  of  the  Redeemer.  Thus  peacefully  she  went 
down  into  the  'valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,'  for 
the  Shepherd  of  Israel  was  with  her.  Sister  Stuff, 
taken  every  way,  was  a  most  amiable  woman.  She 
possessed  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit;  modest  and 
rather  self  suspecting,  but  of  rare  personal,  domestic, 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  223 

and  social  excellences.  She  was  at  once  the  affec- 
tionate wife,  the  tender  mother,  the  obliging  neigh- 
bor, and  faithful  Christian.  She  drank  deeply  into 
the  spirit  of  the  itinerant  work.  She  was  ready  to 
go  to  any  missionary  field  to  which  her  husband 
might  have  been  appointed.  She  felt  a  deep  and 
lively  interest  in  all  the  benevolent  operations  of 
the  Church.  She  laid  her  all  upon  its  altar." 

On  March  22cl  and  23d  he  held  quarterly- 
meeting  at  Lafayette,  111.  On  Sabbath  even- 
ing he  preached  on  the  subject  of  Baptism. 
Elder  Gross,  of  the  Baptist  Church,  a  strong 
man  and  an  eloquent  speaker,  and  an  able  de- 
fender of  immerson,  was  present.  Mr.  Phelps 
showed  that  the  meaning  of  baptize  was  not 
favorable  to  immersion.  He  said  James  Arm- 
strong, of  Indiana,  once  saw  a  mother  weep 
whilst  her  child  was  baptized.  At  the  close  of 
the  meeting  he  asked  her  why  she  wept  at  the 
administration  of  so  solemn  an  ordinance? 
Was  it  because  it  was  done  by  sprinkling? 
"Oh,"  she  replied,  "that  is  the  Scriptural 
mode."  "Oh  no,"  said  Mr.  Armstrong,  "the 
Bible  is  full  of  immersion."  "  Why,  Mr.  Arm- 
strong, the  word  immerse  is  not  in  the  Bible." 
After  examing  the  Bible  a  while,  he  said  :  "  Oh, 
this  is  a  Methodist  Bible."  He  then  went 
home  and  examined  his  own  Bible  and  then 
gave  up. 


224      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Mr.  Phelps  showed  that  the  ancients  did  not 
render  baptize  by  the  word  immerse,  but  either 
transferred  it  untranslated  or  used  the  word 
katadeuo,  "to  wet,  to  wet  much."  The  sermon 
was  able  and  comprehensive. 

Elder  Gross  replied.  He  denied  that  the 
"three  thousand"  were  baptized  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost.  He  "believed  they  were  ad- 
mitted to  Church  fellowship  that  day."  To 
which  Mr.  Phelps  quickly  responded,  "Then 
they  were  admitted  without  baptism,  brother 
Gross." 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  task  for  him  to  antag- 
onize the  doctrinal  views  of  sister  Churches, 
yet  he  was  frequently  compelled  to  do  this. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  invited  by  President 
Jonathan  Blanchard,  of  Knox  College;  to 
preach  in  the  Old  First  Church,  on  the  "Sub- 
jects and  Mode  of  Baptism."  There  had  been 
much  discussion  of  the  subject  for  several 
months.  A  prominent  minister  of  the  Baptist 
Church  had  made  some  proselytes  to  his  faith, 
and  had  annoyed  the  pedo- baptists  not  a  little 
by  his  assumptions,  and  his  earnest  advocacy 
of  exclusive  immersion.  The  Church  was  filled 
to  its  utmost  capacity.  Mr.  Phelps  preached 
with  great  ability  on  the  subject.  At  the  close 
of  the  second  discourse  he  requested  the  choir 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  225 

to  allow  him  the  privilege  of  singing  the  clos- 
ing hymn,  which  was  cheerfully  granted,  and 
he  sang : 

"How  painfully  pleasing  the  fond  recollection 
Of  youthful  connections  and  innocent  joy,"  etc. 

Then  the  chorus — 

"The  old-fashioned  Bible,  the  dear  blessed  Bible, 
The  family  Bible  that  lay  on  the  stand." 

Rev.  Absalom  Wooliscroft  was  present,  and 
also  Samuel  Leeper,  A.  Abbott,  and  other  lay 
singers.  The  effect  was  grand.  In  a  moment 
the  audience  was  bathed  in  tears.  President 
Blanchard  sat  with  head  averted,  whilst  the 
tears  ran  freely  down  his  cheeks.  It  was 
a  moment  never  to  be  forgotten  by  those 
who  were  present.  The  audience  had  been 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement, 
and  this  unexpected  appeal  to  the  "tender 
recollections"  of  those  who  had  enjoyed  an 
early  Christian  training  completely  overcame 
them.  Mr.  Phelps  was  a  very  sweet  singer. 
It  will  be  remembered  that  his  father  was  a 
music  teacher,  from  whom  he  inherited  a  fine 
taste,  and  also  acquired  some  knowledge  of 
the  art. 

Mr.  Phelps  prepared  full  notes  of  sermons 
for  use  on  his  district,  but  seldom  spoke  from 
notes.  When  he  did,  his  outline  was  brief  and 


226     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

comprehensive.  The  sketches  here  inserted 
were  used  late  in  life.  They  were  designed 
simply  for  his  own  prompting,  and  not  for  gen- 
eral criticism.  These  "skeletons"  are  com- 
pact and  comprehensive.  Mr.  Phelps  was  a 
thinker.  He  made  himself  master  of  the  sub- 
ject in  hand.  He  made  constant  use  of  the 
Bible.  The  testimony  of  Scriptures  is  too 
frequently  omitted  by  ministers  of  the  present 
day  in  the  presentation  of  the  general  teach- 
ings of  same.  Another  feature  of  his  preach- 
ing, worthy  of  note  and  imitation,  was  his  habit 
of  expounding  the  Word.  He  was  mighty  in 
the  Scriptures.  The  following  outlines  of  ser- 
mons very  jmperfectly  represent  his  ability  as 
a  preacher ;  still  they  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest by  old  friends. 

"  ZECHARIAH  ix,  9-12.— Rejoice  greatly,  O  daughter  of 
Jerusalem,"  etc. 

These  words  apply  first  to  the  Jewish  nation. 
"He  came  to  bis  own,  but  his  own  received  him 
not."  Secondly,  to  the  Church.  The  king-  here 
spoken  of  is  Christ  Jesus,  who  "is  Lord  of  Lords 
and  king  of  kings."  That  this  text  applies  to  Christ 
is  evident,  first,  from  the  public  entry  of  Christ  into 
Jerusalem  riding  upon  the  animal  mentioned  here, 
attended  by  the  multitude,  crying,  "Hosannah  to 
the  son  of  David.  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord."  Secondly,  the  evangelists  all 
apply  these  words  to  him. 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  227 

The  points  presented  to  view  in  tins  text: 

1.  The   character   of  the    king.       "He    is  just." 
Here  the  word  "just"  implies  righteous.     Righteous 
in   his    own    character,   righteous   in    his   moral  gov- 
ernment, and  righteous  in  that  great  system  of  Chris- 
tianity he  introduced.      It  produces  righteousness  or 
holiness  in  men,  and  this  fits  them  for  the  presence 
and  enjoyment  of  a  holy  God. 

2.  The    spiritual    nature    of   his    kingdom.     The 
manner  of  his  public  entry  of  Jerusalem  showed  that 
he  was  a  king.     The  animal  on  which  he  rode,  his 
entering  the  temple   and    taking   possession,   and  at 
night  retiring  into  privacy  for  prayer,  all  show  that 
his  kingdom  was  not  of  the  world. 

3.  The  extent  of  his  kingdom.      "From  sea  even 
to  sea."     The  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  were  to 
be  his  possessions.      The  stone  cut  out  of  the  mount- 
ains without  hands  was  to  fill  the  whole  earth. 

"  Now  we  are  embassadors  for  Christ." — 2  COR.  v,  20. 

An  embassador  is  a  public  functionary  sent  from 
one  sovereign  power  to  another  for  the  transaction 
of  some  official  business,  affecting  the  interest  of  the 
commonwealth  he  represents.  Sent  out  either  to 
negotiate  a  peace  between  contending  parties  or  to 
perpetuate  friendly  relations  already  existing,  and  to 
encourage  commercial  intercourse.  Christ's  minis- 
ers,  that  are  called  and  commissioned  of  him,  are 
plenipotentiaries,  divine  legates  of  the  skies,  embas- 
sadors of  God,  heaven's  commissioned  officers,  sent 
forth  to  propose  terms  of  peace  and  salvation  to  a 
guilty  world. 

I.   The  text  presupposes  that  mankind  was  in  a 


228     TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

state  of  enmity  to  God.  This  the  Scriptures  assert 
directly  in  numberless  passages.  The  whole  scheme 
of  human  redemption,  the  whole  Gospel  system, 
teaches  the  same  by  necessary  implication,  as  the 
great  design  of  the  whole  was  to  restore  man  to 
God's  forfeited  favor  and  image,  and  reconcile  earth 
aiid  heaven. 

II.  The    reconciliation    proposed.      This    implies 
three  things:    I.    Reconciliation  to  the  terms  of  par- 
don and  salvation.      2.   To  the  moral  government  of 
God.      3.   To  his  providential  dispensation. 

III.  The  exhortation,    "As  though  God   did  be- 
seech you."    What  infinite  condescension.     The  judge 
tenders  a  free  and  full  pardon  to  the  guilty  culprit, — 
the  offended  sovereign  to  the  condemned  rebel.     The 
injured  creditor  forgives  the   debtor  the  whole  debt. 
Not  only  is  pardon  freely  tendered,  but  the  offender 
is  urged  and  besought  to  accept  it. 

"I  counsel  ihee  to  buy  of  me  gold.'' — REV.  iii,  18. 

Most  men  desire  to  be  rich,  at  least  they  would 
esteem  it  a  convenience,  if  it  could  be  enjoyed  with- 
out endangering  the  soul  or  the  interests  of  religion. 
Here  wealth  that  is  incorruptible  and  that  fadeth  not 
away  is  offered  to  all  men  by  him  who  has  said, 
"The  gold  and  the  silver  are  mine." 

I.  The  characters  addressed, — the  Church  at  Lao- 
dicea.     They  thought  themselves  rich  and  had  need 
of  nothing,  but  in    reality   were    "poor,    blind,    and 
naked."     How  deplorable  and  indescribably  distress- 
ing their  condition. 

II.  The    blessings    offered — grace,    holiness,    and 
spiritual   illumination.      Gold  tried   in   the   fire,  fully 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  229 

purified  and  separated  form  an  alloy,  gold  refined 
in  the  furnace.  This  may  represent  the  faith  of  the 
Christian,  that  is  more  precious  than  of  gold  that 
perisheth,  though  it  be  tried  with  fire,  or  perhaps 
the  grace  of  God,  that  renews  and  purifies  the  heart. 

WHITE  RAIMENT— HOLINESS  OF  LIFE. 

"Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask  or  think." — EPH.  iii,  20. 

This  epistle  was  written  while  a  prisoner  at  Rome 
awaiting  his  trial  for  life.  The  prayer  that  precedes 
this  text  is  a  dedication  prayer,  not  of  the  church 
at  Ephesus  merely,  but  of  the  Christian  Church. 
"Now  unto  him,"  an  expression  of  dignity,  marking 
the  supreme  majesty  and  magnitude  of  Jehovah. 
He  does  not  say  to  God  or  the  Lord,  but  "unto 
him,"  to  give  prominence  to  his  character.  "Unto 
him,"  that  being  of  beings,  the  fountain  of  all  per- 
fection and  excellence.  The  majesty  and  perfection 
of  his  character  should  awe  us  into  reverence  in  our 
approaches  to  him. 

"That  is  able  to  do."  He  had  just  presented  the 
most  comprehensive  petitions  and  enlarged  requests 
for  blessings  so  exalted  that  some  might  doubt 
whether  they  could  be  attained  in  this  life.  To 
remove  all  doubt  and  give  full  confidence,  he  fixes 
attention  on  the  omnipotent  power  and  perfection  of 
God.  "He  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly." 
All  power  is  his;  his  power  gave  existence  to  the 
universe  and  perpetuates  its  being.  "He  spake  and 
it  was  done,  he  commanded  and  it  stood  fast." 
"The  thunder  of  his  power  who  can  understand?" 
He  is  able  to  accomplish  for  us  all  he  has  promised. 


230     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

He  commands  us  to  be  holy,  has  made  provisions  for 
it  and  promised  it,  and  hence  will  do  it.  And  yet 
more  exceedingly  abundantly  beyond  our  most  ex- 
alted and  extended  conceptions  of  the  mind.  Nothing 
within  the  whole  of  our  salvation  and  personal  holi- 
ness too  great  for  him  to  bestow.  "  According  to  the 
power  that  worketh  in  us."  Here  is  the  proof.  The 
pardon  of  sin,  the  regeneration  of  the  heart,  its  subju- 
gation to  Christ  are  demonstrations  that  the  same 
powerful  agency  can  destroy  all  sin,  perfect  in  love, 
and  fill  the  soul  with  peace  and  every  virtue. 

"Seeing  then  that  we  have  a  great  High  Priest  that  is 
passed  into  the  heavens,  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God,  let  us  hold 
fast  our  professions.''— HEB.  iv.  14. 

Most  men  in  every  age  and  country  have  felt  the 
need  of  some  meritorious  medium  of  approach  to 
God.  Personal  guilt  and  depravity  demand  such  a 
medium.  The  pagan  finds  this  medium  in  his  sacri- 
fices, sometimes  the  fruit  of  his  body ;  the  deluded 
Romanist  in  the  intercession  of  saints;  the  Protestant 
in  the  advocacy  of  Christ.  The  sacerdotal  office  is 
twofold :  first,  to  offer  sacrifice ;  second,  to  make 
intercession.  Christ  performed  the  first  on  earth. 
Heb.  ix,  14,  26,  28;  Heb.  10,  12,  14.  The  second 
in  heaven. 

The  second  branch  of  the  priestly  office  demands 
our  present  attention.  This  we  have  said  is  inter- 
cession. "He  ever  (himself)  liveth  to  make  interces- 
sions for  them."  The  death  of  Christ  is  the  procur- 
ing cause  of  our  salvation  with  all  temporal  and 
spiritual  good.  His  intercession  secures  us  posses- 
sion. All  need  his  intercession,  for  all  have  sinned, 
all  are  depraved.  None  possess  absolute  perfection. 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  231 

I.  He   pleads   for   sinners,    to   spare    their   lives. 
Sin  forfeits  probationary  existence.      "The  soul  that 
sinneth   it  shall  die;"   but  Christ   pleads,   the  sinner 
lives.      He    pleads   for    spiritual    influences    and    the 
means   of  grace.     Justice   cries,    "Let    him   alone." 
Christ  intercedes,  and  the  Spirit  still  strives;   minis- 
ters invite ;  the  Gospel  proposes  life. 

II.  For   believers.      I.    For   the    acceptance  with 
the   Father.      "No   man  can   come  unto  the  Father 
but   by    me."      "For   through    him    we    both    have 
access  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father."     (Eph.  ii,  18.) 
2.   For   the    renewing    and   sanctifying   influences   of 
the  Holy  Spirit.      "I  will   pray  to   the  Father,  and 
he   shall  give  you  another  Comforter,   that   he  may 
abide  with  you    forever."     (John   xiv,    16.)     3.    For 
grace  to  help  in  time  of  need."     (Heb.  iv,   15,  16.) 
4.     For   peace.       "And    the    peace    of    God,    which 
passeth    all    understanding,    shall    keep    your   hearts 
and    minds    through    Christ    Jesus."     (Phil,    iv,    7; 
John    xiv,    13,    14.)      5.   Preservation    from    sin.     6. 
Sanctification.      7.    Union.      8.    Glorification.      John 
xvii,  9-24. 

III.  How  does  he  intercede?     First.   He  appears 
in    our    own    humanity    before    the    throne    for    us. 
Heb.    ix,    74.      Second.   Presents    the    marks    of   his 
crucifixion.      Rev.     v,     6;     Heb.     xii,     29.      Third. 
Most  likely  his  intercessions  were  vocal.     John  xvii; 
Psalm  ii.      "Father  forgive  them." 

But  what  are  his  qualifications  for  intercession? 
First.  Wisdom.  Jude  25 ;  Col.  ii,  3.  Second.  In- 
fluence— equal  with  God.  Third.  Sympathy.  Heb. 
ii,  17,  18;  Heb.  iv,  15. 


232     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"But  of  him  are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus,  who  of  God  is  made 
unto  us  wisdom,  and  righteousness,  and  sanctification,  and 
redemption.'' — I  COR.  i,  30. 

The  moral  condition  of  man  while  tinrenevved  is 
distinguished  by  four  prominent  evils: 

1.  Ignorance  of  God.      "The   world   by  wisdom 
knew  not  God."     (i  Cor.  i,  22.) 

2.  Sin.      "All  have  sinned."     (Rom.  iii,  23.) 

3.  Depravity.   "  Every  imagination  of  the  thoughts 
of  his  heart  was  only  evil  continually."     (Gen.  vi,  5  ; 
Isa.  i,  5,  6.) 

4.  Mortality.     "For  as   in    Adam   all    die."     (i 
Cor.  xv,  22;   Heb.  ix,  27.) 

We  have  in  Christ  a  full  remedy  for  the  whole, — 
his  own  wisdom  to  dispel  our  ignorance  and  moral 
darkness ;  our  righteousness  to  make  us  free  fr.om 
sin,  our  sanctification  to  purge  our  depravity,  and 
our  redemption  from  the  grave  to  swallow  up  death 
in  victory.  Isa.  ii,  5—8;  Hosea  xiii,  14. 

First.  Christ  is  made  unto  us  wisdom.  All  cor- 
rect religious  experience  and  practice  are  based  upon 
truth ;  truth  which  proud  boasting  philosophy  and 
science  could  never  reach;  the  volume  of  nature 
could  never  disclose  it,  but  Christ  has  revealed  it. 
He  is  the  way,  the  truth,  and  the  life.  John  xiv,  6. 
He  has  revealed  this  truth  in  his  Word  and  by  his 
Spirit,  and  hence  is  our  wisdom.  In  his  Word  he 
has  taught  us  our  origin,  nature,  and  destination  ; 
our  depravity,  guilt,  danger,  and  remedy.  The  plan 
of  salvation,  terms  of  acceptance,  extent  of  moral 
obligation,  and  the  way  to  heaven,  by  his  Spirit  upon 
the  heart.  Luke  xxiv,  45  ;  Acts  xvi,  14.  Compare 
John  i,  9,  with  John  xvi,'  7,  8. 

"Secondly.    He  is  our  righteousness.     How  guilt 


ROCK  ISLAND  DISTRICT.  233 

and  sin  can  be  removed  and  the  sinner  accepted  and 
made  righteous  before  God,  are  questions  of  the  deep- 
est interest;  questions  that  the  literature  and  the 
unassisted  reason  of  man  could  never  answer,  but 
all  find  an  answer  in  the  text.  Christ  is  our  right- 
eousness— remission  of  sins  is  through  him.  Luke 
xxiv,  47;  Acts  x,  45;  Acts  xiii,  39;  xvi,  31. 

Thirdly.  He  is  our  sanctification.  Man  is  guilty 
and  needs  pardon ;  his  nature  is  depraved  and  cor- 
rupt, and  needs  sanctification.  Rom.  vii,  14;  xxiii, 
24.  He  is  our  sanctification.  Rom.  viii,  2,  3.  His 
death,  an  intercession,  has  made  provision  for  this 
work.  It  is  commenced  in  regeneration.  This  frees 
from  guilt  and  the  dominion  of  sin.  It  brings  us 
into  Christ  and  makes  us  new  creatures.  2  Cor.  v, 
17;  Gal.  vi,  15.  It  is  completed  when  the  heart  is 
cleansed  from  all  sin.  I  John  i,  7—9 ;  I  Thes.  v,  2,  3. 

Fourth.  And  redemption  from  all  the  power  of 
Satan  and  the  grave. 

"  But  be  sure  your  sin  will  find  you  out.'1     NUM.  xxxii,  23. 

Most  men  are  sensible  that  sin  is  an  evil  that  ex- 
poses the  offender  to  punishment  and  final  exclusion 
from  the  divine  presence;  yet  multitudes  live  in  sin 
and  risk  the  consequences.  Some  do  not  stop  to 
count  the  cost;  they  never  look  to  the  final  issue  or 
result  of  their  course.  Dazzled  by  the  pleasures  that 
sin  promises,  allured  by  the  fascinations  of  vice,  they 
rush  onward  as  the  unthinking  horse  into  the  battle- 
field. Others  intend  repentance  and  reformation  be- 
fore death.  They  promise  themselves  long  life;  they 
will  first  enjoy  the  world,  try  its  pleasures,  share  its 
amusements  and  amass  its  treasures,  and  then  before 
death  they  will  fly  from  impending  ruin  and  prepare 

20 


234      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

for  their  future  state.  Others  have  died  young,  it  is 
true,  but  they  will  live  to  be  old.  Some  have  died 
suddenly,  unprepared,  but  they  will  have  timely  warn- 
ing. Many  have  died  delirious,  but  they  will  be 
more  fortunate.  Men  generally  enter  upon  the 
grosser  immoralities  or  atrocities  of  life  under  a  pre- 
sumptuous confidence  of  secresy ;  though  others  have 
failed  they  intend  to  manage  the  card  with  so  much 
ingenuity  and  shrewdness  as  altogether  to  escape  de- 
tection. Such  crimes  seek  concealment;  they  are 
the  offspring  of  darkness,  and  can  not  endure  the 
light.  They  hang  out  no  signs  and  never  advertise. 
But  however  hidden,  concealed,  and  secret  such 
deed  of  darkness  are,  they  will  all  be  brought  to 
light.  "Your  sins  will  find  you  out."  They  are 
all  chronicled  by  the  pen  of  Divine  Justice,  and 
heaven's  commissioned  officer  is  on  the  track  of 
every  sinner;  no  retreat  so  private  and  dark  as  to 
conceal  from  his  view.  All  such  deeds  shall  come 
to  the  light.  Sin  shall  find  the  sinner  out  first  in 
the  natural  and  legitimate  consequences.  This  is 
done  in  this  life.  Though  the  present  is  a  proba- 
tionary state  and  not  a  state  of  retribution,  yet  in- 
temperance will  destroy  health,  degrade  the  mind 
and  body,  and  bring  disgrace  and  destitution.  Gam- 
ing leads  to  other  vices,  and  draws  a  thousand  mis- 

o 

eries  in  its  train.  Fortunes  acquired  by  dishonesty 
and  crime  are  generally  fickle  and  unstable.  All 
other  sins  have  their  influence  both  upon  the  general 
character  and  present  happiness  of  the  offender. 
But  should  men  given  tb  flagrant  crimes  escape  pub- 
lic exposure  in  this  life?  Their  sins  at  least  will 
overtake  them  in  death  and  the  final  judgment  in 
their  full  weight  of  retribution. 


CHAPTER  TENTH. 

THE  BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE— CORRESPOND- 
ENCE. 

Started  April  22cl — Preached  in  Boston  April  301)1 — Death 
of  Bishop  Hedding— Absence  of  Bishop  Hamline — Opening  of 
the  Conference — Petitions — First  Letter  to  his  Wife — Second 
Letter  to  Wife — Third  Letter  to  Wife — Fourth  Letter — Fifth 
Letter — Brief  Letter  to  Rev.  J.  Morey. 

GENERAL  Conference  was  now  close  at 
hand.  Mr.  Phelps  began  to  make  prep- 
arations for  his  journey.  This  was  no  small 
task.  The  affairs  of  his  family  and  district 
must  be  carefully  arranged,  so  as  not  to  suffer 
in  his  absence.  On  April  I4th  he  wrote:  "All 
are  well.  Would  like  to  have  Elizabeth  [sis- 
ter-in-law] come  on  the  stage  to  Princeton. 
Must  start  to  the  General  Conference  on  22d 
of  April.  Emma  talks,  and  is  as  smart  as  a 
cricket  and  playful  as  a  lamb." 

He  reached  Boston  on  Friday,  April  3oth, 
and  found  -the  hills  covered  with  snow.  * 
"  Bishop  Hedding  is  dead,  Bishop  Hamline 

*  A  letter  to  John  Morey. 

235 


236     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 


unable  to  be  here.  The  Bishops  recommend 
the  election  of  three  more." 

The  Conference  met  in  the  Bloomfield 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Bishop  Waugh 
read  the  Scriptures — announced  the  two  hun- 
dred and  sixteenth  hymn : 

"Now,  Lord,  fulfill  thy  faithful  word, 

Thy  servants'  labors  bless  ; 
Now  let  the  prayer  of  faith  be  heard, 
And  grant  them  full  success." 

After  the  singing,  Laban  Clark  and  Jacob 
Young  led  in  prayer. 

"Jesus,  the  word  of  mercy  give, 

And  let  it  swiftly  run  ; 
And  let  the  priests  themselves  believe, 
And  put  salvation  on," 

was  sung.  Peter  Cartwright  and  Charles 
Adams  led  in  prayer. 

Bishops  Morris  and  Janes  were  present. 

There  were  many  "appeals,"  and  many 
petitions  to  extend  the  pastoral  term,  to  abol- 
ish the  presiding  elder's  office,  and  to  cut  off 
all  slaveholders  from  the  Church. 

Mr.  Phelps  was  on  the  Committee  on  Itin- 
erancy, also  on  the  Committee,  on  Revisals. 
R.  Haney  was  on  the  Episcopal  Committee  ; 
L.  Hitchcock  was  on  the  Mission  Committee; 
J.  Chandler  was  on  the  Committee  on  Bounda- 
ries; S.  P.  Keyes  was  on  the  Committee  on 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  237 

Book  Concern.  H.  Summers,  then  of  the 
Wisconsin  Conference,  was  also  on  the  Com- 
mittee on  Boundaries.  Mr.  Phelps  was  asso- 
ciated with  C.  C.  Bohr,  Heman  Bangs,  Adam 
Poe,  J.  B.  Corrington,  Miner  Raymond,  among 
the  number  composing  the  Committee  on  the 
Itinerancy.  Among  the  number  on  "Revisals" 
with  whom  he  was  associated  he  met  George 
Peck,  S.  G.  J.  Worthrngton,  H.  Summers,  E. 
Thomson,  W.  H.  Goode,  Peter  Akers,  J.  Ha- 
vens, F.  Hodgson,  J.  M'Clintock,  J.  Porter, 
and  other  able  men. 

Mr.  Phelps  was  no  speech -maker  in  the 
General  Conference,  but  a  very  active  and  able 
member.  His  letters  to  his  companion,  though 
not  designed  for  general  perusal,  present  a 
pretty  full  outline  of  its  proceedings.  These 
letters  are  written  in  the  style  of  an  affec- 
tionate and  thoughtful  husband,  to  whom  home 
was  the  dearest  place. 

"BOSTON,  MASS.,  Mny  i,  1852. 

"  MY  DEAR  CHARLOTTE,  —  I  am  now  in  the  far- 
famed  'City  of  Notions,'  and  it  is  Saturday  night. 
I  sit  down  in  the  midst  o*f  company  to  drop  you  a 
brief  line.  Never  before  was  I  so  far  from  the  objects 
of  my  affections.  Already  do  I  think  much  about 
'sweet  home,'  and  long  to  be  there;  'but  I  must 
suppress  my  sighs  and  sobs  for  the  present,  and  tell 


238      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

a  little  about  my  journey  to  this  Yankee  land.  We 
took  the  railroad,  at  Chicago,  that  runs  through 
Northern  Indiana  and  Southern  Michigan;  thence  to 
Lake  Erie,  below  Detroit;  thence  by  boat  to  Buffalo. 
The  journey  would  have  been  pleasant  but  for  the 
fact  that  our  iron  horse  broke  down  the  first  night, 
and  detained  us  some  hours;  and  the  steamboat  got 
Irer  boiler  crippled  t\Tice,  and  detained  us  again  some 
hours.  The  harbor  at  Buffalo  was  gorged  with  ice 
for  a  great  distance,  and  we  were  told  repeatedly  we 
could  not  make  the  port;  but  we  did,  without  much 
delay.  We  arrived  there  on  Wednesday  night,  and 
on  Thursday  visited  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  and  spent 
some  hours  in  looking  at  the  most  astonishing  won- 
ders of  nature  ever  beheld  by  man.  No  tongue  or 
pen  can  describe  the  grandeur  and  awful  sublimity 
of  the  scenery;  hence  I  shall  not  attempt  it.  We 
traveled  on  foot  some  three  or  four  miles,  viewing 
different  portions  of  the  Falls,  or  the  same  from  dif- 
ferent positions,  ascending  and  descending  steps  al- 
most perpendicular;  one  flight  of  steps,  in  particular, 
no  less  than  two  hundred  and  ninety  in  number; 
scrambling  over  steep  precipices  and  rugged  rocks, 
until  we  were  almost  sick  with .  fatigue.  We  then 
took  the  cars  and  returned  to  Buffalo,  and  set  out 
there  to  Albany  at  five  P.  M.  ;  traveled  all  night,  and 
arrived  in  Albany  early  yesterday  morning,  and  in 
Boston  in  the  afternoon.  The  cars  now  run  from 
Buffalo  to  Albany  in  twelve  hours,  whereas  they  were 
twenty-four  hours  running  the  same  distance  when 
you  and  I  came  over  the  road.  The  speed  is  still 
greater  from  Albany  to  Boston;  it  really  seems  like 
flying  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind. 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  239 

"Conference  organized  this  morning.  Most  of 
the  members  are  in.  Bishop  Hamline  is  not  here; 
and  it  is  doubtful  whether  he  will  be  here  at  all,  on 
account  of  his  health.  You  have  heard,  I  presume, 
of  the  death  of  Bishop  Hedcling.  My  boarding- 
place  is  pleasant,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from 
the  Conference-room,  in  a  Methodist  family.  I  shall 
have  coffee  once  a  day,  and  that  will  do  very  well. 
Boston  is  a  crowded  and  wealthy  city,  though  I  have 
not  had  time  to  see  much  of  it  yet.  I  will  now  close 
for  to-night,  and  finish  this  epistle  Monday  morning. 

"It  is  now  Monday  morning,  May  3d,  and  I 
proceed  to  finish  my  letter.  My  health  has  been 
very  poor  ever  since  I  came  to  the  city.  I  attribute 
it  mainly  to  too  much  exercise  at  the  Falls,  and  then 
getting  into  the  cars  and  traveling  all  night,  without 
sleeping  more  than  five  minutes  during  the  night. 
The  next  evening — that  is,  on  Friday  evening  last — 
we  arrived  here.  I  was  taken,  before  I  got  out  of 
the  cars,  with  a  sick  stomach  and  dizziness,  such  as 
I  had  in  Galena,  so  that  I  could  scarcely  ride  in  a 
carriage  to  my  boarding-place,  and  have  not  yet  fully 
recovered,  though  I  made  out  to  get  to  the  Confer- 
ence-room on  Saturday,  and  to  Church  yesterday. 
The  Methodist  churches  in  this  city  are  fine,  and 
furnished  with  fine  organs  and  choirs,  but  the  old 
land-marks  of  Methodism  are  hard  to  find.  The  old 
elm-tree,  under  which  Jesse  Lee  preached  his  first 
sermon  in  Boston,  stands  pretty  much  on  my  road 
from  my  lodging  to  the  Conference-room.  I  look 
upon  it  almost  with  idolatrous  veneration.  I  have 
ordered  the  Daily  sent  to  George;  if  it  should  not 


240      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

come,  let  me  know.  I  have  found  another  little 
'Emma'  where  I  board,  about  two  years  old;  her 
name  is  Emma  Isabel le,  but  I  am  not  willing  to  ac- 
cept her  as  a  substitute  for  my  sweet  Emma.  Oh, 
how  I  want  to  see  her!  Could  I  see  her  this  morn- 
ing, I  think  I  would  almost  smash  her  bones. 

' '  George,  try  and  be  a  good  boy ;  be  punctual  to 
your  business,  and  attend  well  to  the  wants  and 
comforts  of  your  mother.  Mary  and  Joseph,  be  good 
children,  and  don't  forget  your  prayers.  I  am  look- 
ing with  great  anxiety  for  a  letter  from  you  ;  be  sure 
to  write  every  week. 

"  Most  affectionately,  yours, 

"A.   E.   PHELPS." 

Overwork  was  a  fault  with  Elder  Phelps. 
His  desire  for  education  and  his  love  for  the 
Master  led  him  to  attempt  impossibilities.  Ab- 
sence from  his  family,  added  to  exhaustive 
labors,  depressed  him.  He  performed  the 
work  committed  to  his  hands,  regardless  of 
the  effects  upon  his  already  overtaxed  system. 

"BOSTON,  May  8,   1852, 

MY  DEAR  WIFE, — Having  some  ten  minutes  leis- 
ure, I  take  up  my  pen  to  commence  a  letter  to  you 
that  I  shall  probably  finish  next  week.  I  feel  some- 
times almost  discouraged  on  account  of  my  health. 
I  have  not  enjoyed  one  day's  health  since  I  arrived 
in  the  city.  Before  reaching  my  residence  I  was 
taken  with  a  dizziness  and  sick  stomach,  such  as  I 
had  in  Galena,  and  had  to  go  to  bed  immediately, 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  241 

and  ate  nothing  till  next  day.  I  have  suffered  more 
or  less  in  the  same  way  ever  since,  but  have  still 
been  able  to  attend  to  business,  until  yesterday 
afternoon.  I  was  taken  so  bad  as  to  have  to  be 
brought  home  by  the  kindness  of  some  of  the  breth- 
ren. I  went  to  bed  as  sick  as  you  ever  saw  me, 
and  am  still  unwell,  but  some  better.  My  work  has 
been  unusually  heavy  since  Conference  commenced; 
I  am  on  two  of  the  most  important  committees  in 
the  Conference,  besides  two  sub -committees.  The 
brethren  tell  me  my  energies  have  been  overtaxed, 
and  that  I  must  labor  less.  I  have  now  to  start  out 
in  the  country,  to  preach  to  morrow,  by  special  re- 
quest ;  the  carriage  is  waiting  for  me.  I  preferred 
riding  out  a  few  miles  for  my  health,  rather  than  to 
preach  in  the  city. 

"The  State  of  Massachusetts  is  certainly  the 
roughest  and  most  broken  and  rocky  country  I  ever 
saw.  The  soil  looks  like  death  and  starvation.  The 
hills  were  pretty  generally  covered  with  snow.  But 
all  is  activity  and  bustle  in  Boston.  You  can  scarcely 
form  any  idea  of  the  noise  and  stir  in  the  principal 
streets  in  the  city.  Pittsburg  was  no  comparison. 
The  streets  are  very  narrow,  and  literally  jammed 
full  of  omnibuses,  hacks,  carriages,  drays,  etc.,  driv- 
ing as  hard  as  they  can  go,  and  consequently  you 
can  not  hear  yourself  halloo.  The  noise  I  should 
think  equal  to  the  roar  of  the  battle-field.  I  shall 
be  glad  to  get  away  from  this  scene  of  confusion  and 
thunder. 

"I  received  George's  letter  on  Tuesday  last,  and 
a  welcome  visitor  it  was.  Oh,  how  glad  I  was  to 
hear  from  you  all,  and  especially  to  hear  that  you 

21 


242      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

/ 

were  all  well!  Thank  the  Lord  for  it;  may  he  pre- 
serve your  lives  and  health  till  my  return.  I  think 
but  few  men  have  as  strong  domestic  feelings  and 
attachments  as  I  have.  Many  of  the  delegates  have 
now  been  from  home  more  than  a  month,  and  I 
think  would  be  satisfied  to  stay  away  t\vo  or  three 
months  yet.  I  am  differently  constituted. 

"We  will  elect  at  least  three  more  bishops. 
Dr.  Simpson,  the  editor  of  the  Western  Christian 
Advocate,  I  think,  will  be  one.  There  is  much  elec- 
tioneering, and  a  great  many  very  friendly  and  so- 
ciable men  these  times.  I  am  disgusted  at  such  a 
practice;  we  have  certainly  departed  from  the  spirit 
of  our  fathers. 

"I  took  a  Avalk  the  other  evening  down  to  the 
boat-landing,  to  see  the  place  where  our  fathers  of 
1776  threw  the  tea  into  the  water  that  brought 
about  the  American  Revolution.  I  can  see  the 
Bunker  Hill  monument  at  a  distance,  but  have  not 
had  time  to  visit  it  yet. 

"Store  goods  by  the  retail  seem  to  be  as  high 
here  as  with  us,  hence  I  shall  not  purchase  much. 
Carriages,  also,  I  believe,  are  as  high  as  in  Chicago. 

"It  is  now  Monday  evening,  May  loth,  and  I 
have  but  a  moment  or  two  to  write.  On  Saturday, 
brother  and  sister  Wales  came  in  for  me  to  go  out 
and  spend  the  Sabbath  with  them  and  preach  at 
West  Newton,  a  village  of  some  two  thousand  popu- 
lation. They  took  me  to  the  Bunker  Hill  Monument; 
it  stands  on  a  high  hill,  and  is  two  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  high  above  the  ground,  and  we  ascended  by 
Avinding  steps,  two  hundred  and  ninety-five  in  num- 
ber. As  I  stood  upon  the  top  of  it  and  looked  down, 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  243 

a  man  seemed  to  be  about  as  big  as  our  little  Emma. 
They  also  took  me  to  the  navy  yard,  where  I  saw 
a  thousand  curiosities  that  I  have  not  time  to  name. 
They  then  took  me  to  the  far-famed  Cambridge  Col- 
lege, where  Professor  Webster  was  hung  and  where 
little  Safford  is  receiving  his  education;  thence  to 
Mount  Auburn,  and  rambled  for  some  time  among 
the  tombs  of  the  great  and  honorable.  Mount 
Auburn  is  no  doubt  the  most  beautiful  and  costly 
cemetery  in  America.  I  should  like  to  spend  days 
in  such  a  place.  I  preached  twice  yesterday  and 
feel  better  to  day. 

"I  received  a  letter  this  morning  from  your  father. 
Please  send  him  some  of  the  first  numbers  of  your 
Daily,  if  you  have  read  them.  Be  sure  to  write 
punctually  every  week.  You  can  not  tell  the  pleas- 
ure it  affords  me  to  get  your  letters.  Have  George, 
to  write,  and  write  yourself.  I  hardly  know  how  to 
close.  I  wish  my  paper  was  larger.  Kiss  my  chil- 
dren for  me. 

"Your  husband,  A.  E.  PHELPS." 

Several  appeal  cases  came  before  the  Con- 
ference on  Saturday,  May  yth.  One  was  re- 
ferred to  the  Committee  on  Itinerancy,  with 
instructions  for  it  to  make  a  special  report. 
This  Committee  was  severely  taxed  in  order 
carefully  to  consider  each  case.  A  case  from 
Erie  Conference  was  reaffirmed  by  a  vote  of 
no  to  37.  These  cases  were  a  severe  tax  on 
the  committees  and  sub-committees  to  whom 
they  were  referred. 


244      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

BOSTON,  MASS,  Mny  12,  1852. 

"MY  DEAR  CHARLOTTE,  —  As  I  have  a  moment 
of  leisure  this  evening,  I  will  commence  another 
epistle  to  you,  and  write  it  by  piecemeal  as  I  can. 
I  received  George's  letter  to-day,  and  a  very  inter- 
esting letter  it  was.  It  affords  me  indescribable  pleas- 
ure to  hear  from  you  and  the  children;  and  espec- 
ially from  my  sweet  Emma.'  Her  little  form  has 
been  before  my  eyes  a  thousand  times  since  I  left 
home.  I  sometimes  can  almost  imagine  I  have  her 
in  my  arms,  clasping  her  to  my  bosom. 

"Bishop  Hamline  has  resigned  his  episcopal  office ; 
he  is  no  longer  bishop,  but  has  become  as  another 
man;  it  is  now  Elder  Hamline.  My  old  friend  Ames, 
of  Indiana,  I  think  may  possibly  be  elected  bishop. 
I  hope  he  may.  Kossuth  is  in  the  city.  I  hope  to 
hear  him  on  Friday  night.  Conference  moves  very 
slowly  indeed. 

"You  need  not  look  for  me  home  before  the 
middle  of  June,  though  I  assure  you  I  shall  come 
as  soon  as  possible.  My  boarding-house  is  pleasant; 
the  family  is  kind.  I  get  coffee  in  the  morning,  but 
have  to  drink  a  great  deal  of  water  for  a  little  coffee. 
The  Yankees  can  not  make  coffee. 

"Tell  Mary  and  Jody  to  write  a  few  lines  to  me 
in  George's  letter.  When  you  write  again  tell  me 
what  to  get  for  Jody.  I  do  n't  know  what  pretty 
thing  to  buy  for  him,  unless  it  is  a  little  s^vitch.  I 
have  got  nothing  yet  for  my  little  Emma.  I  shall 
have  to  give  myself  to  her. 

"Several  lines  of  railroad  pass  within  a  few  feet 
of  our  door.  On  yesterday  they  were  passing  and 
the  cars  ran  over  a  horse  and  buggy  and  crushed  the 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  245 

buggy  into  splinters,  and  ground  the  horse  into 
mince-meat.  No  person  was  in  the  buggy  at  the 
time. 

"This  afternoon  Bishop  Waugh  preached  the 
funeral  sermon  of  Bishop  Hedding.  It  was  a  very 
affecting  and  impressive  discourse,  and  a  time  of 
great  interest. 

"When  I  think  of  staying  here  three  or  four 
weeks  yet,  it  makes  me  feel  almost  sick.  I  could 
wish  the  time  was  out.  To-morrow  I  am  invited  to 
an  oyster  dinner.  We  have  some  luxuries  here  that 
you  do  not  enjoy,  such  as  oysters,  clams,  lobsters,  etc. 

"It  is  now  Saturday  afternoon,  May  I5th,  and  I 
resume  my  pen  to  finish  my  letter.  Since  writing 
the  above  Conference  has  done  nothing  but  try  a 
very  exciting  appeal  case  from  Ohio.  Every  thing 
moves  slowly.  We  have  so  many  splendid  speakers 
that  much  time  is  consumed  in  making  speeches 
merely,  it  would  seem,  to  have  them  reported. 

"I  had  the  pleasure  on  yesterday  evening  of  hear- 
ing a  speech  from  the  illustrious  Kossuth,  in  the  far- 
famed  Faneuil  Hall.  The  hall  and  galleries,  I  should 
think,  would  contain  three  or  four  thousand  peo- 
ple. And  it  was  crowded  almost  to  suffocation. 
The  splendid  chandelier  contained  perhaps  a  hundred 
glass  lamps,  in  the  middle  of  the  hall,  lighting  up 
the  house  as  bright  as  day.  Kossuth  spoke  about  an 
hour,  during  which  time  the  large  concourse  was  held 
in  breathless  attention,  except  their  occasional  shouts, 
like  peals  of  thunder.  Never  did  I  see  such  a  spirit 
of  enthusiasm,  and  so  much  excitement.  He  is  cer- 
tainly a  fine  speaker  for  a  foreigner.  He  speaks  the 
English  language  quite  intelligibly.  His  personal 


246      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

appearance  is  fine.  He  came  into  the  house  accom- 
panied by  his  suite,  some  of  them  in  splendid  .mili- 
tary uniform. 

"The  mayor  of  the  city  has  invited  our  Confer- 
ence to  take  a  ride,  on  next  Tuesday,  a  few  miles 
into  the  great  Atlantic,  to  some  neighboring  islands. 
It  will  be  a  pleasant  excursion  if  the  day  is  fair. 

"I  noticed,  in  one  of  the  old  churches  in  this 
city,  the  other  day,  a  cannon-ball,  shot  by  the  British 
in  the  Revolution.  The  ball,  I  should  think,  is  a 
seventy-four  pounder.  About  one-half  of  it  is  buried 
in  the  wall  of  the  church;  the  other  half  sticks  out, 
just  as  it  was  shot  from  the  British  cannon. 

"Boston  is  a  city  in  the  midst  of  an  assemblage 
of  cities;  there  are  some  five  or  six  that  may  be  seen 
from  the  top  of  Bunker  Hill  Monument.  There  is 
Boston  City,  where  the  Conference  is  held,  East 
Boston,  South  Boston,  Cambridge,  Charlestown,  and 
Roxbury;  some  six  cities  within  the  circumference 
of  the  eye.  I  have  an  appointment  for  South  Bos- 
ton to-morrow. 

"I  believe  that  I  might  possibly  secure  an  ap- 
pointment to  the  Book  Agency,  if  I  would  try  as 
others  are  trying,  but  I  am  heartily  disgusted  with 
such  efforts;  and  then  I  believe  it  would  be  better 
for  me  to  remain  in  the  regular  work — hence  I 
shall  seek  nothing  else.  I  believe  God  has  called 
me  to  the  work  of  the  ministry,  but  not  to  be  seek- 
ing for  offices  or  fat  livings. 

"It  has  been  rainy  and  cold  for  nearly  a  week. 
I  do  not  wonder  that  men  die  of  consumption  in 
this  place.  The  changes  in  the  weather  are  sudden, 
and  the  sea  breezes  very  cold  and  penetrating.  In 


'  BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  247 

addition    to    oysters,   lobsters,   etc.,    I  have  had  the 
finest  fresh  fish  that  I  ever  ate. 

"May  I'jt/i.  It  is  now  Monday  morning,  and  I 
arise  to  finish  my  letter.  I  hope  to  receive  yours 
to-day.  Be  sure  to  write  every  Monday.  I  preached 
once  on  yesterday,  and  declined  a  second  invitation. 
If  George  could  be  here,  his  taste  for  music  and  choir 
singing  would  be  gratified,  as  there  are  choirs  and 
organs  in  all  the  churches.  The  music  itself  is  fine, 
but  there  is  very  little  religion  in  it.  Religion  and 
the  worship  of  God  seem  to  be  but  a  secondary 
object.  Could  the  children  be  with  me  here,  I  could 
show  them  a  thousand  curiosities,  and  pretty  things 
of  all  descriptions;  but  I  can  not  tell  them  now.  I 
see  thousands  of  little  boys  and  girls  going  to  school 
every  day,  and  playing 'along  the  streets  as  they  go, 
but  I  never  yet  have  seen  any  of  them  quarreling  or 
fighting.  The  little  boys  are  not  so  naughty  in  Bos- 
ton as  they  are  in  Illinois. 

.    "May  the  Lord   bless  you,    my   dear   Charlotte, 
and  all  the  children,  is  my  daily  prayer. 
"Your  affectionate  husband, 

"A.  E.  PHELPS." 

Mr.  Phelps  possessed  an  intense  love  of  the 
beautiful ;  he  was  also  very  patriotic,  and  a 
close  observer.  He  found  much  to  interest 
him  in  the  city  of  Boston  and  its  vicinity.  The 
enjoyment  of  these  opportunities  he  shared 
with  his  family  in  Princeton,  111. ;  and  thus  the 
reader  is  enabled  to  participate  in  the  same,  in 
the  perusal  of  his  home  correspondence. 


248      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"  BOSTON,  May  19,  1852. 

"MY  DEAR  WIFE  AND  .  CHILDREN,  —  When  far 
away  from  home,  it  is  a  great  privilege  to  talk  with 
you  by  means  of  paper  and  ink.  It  affords  me, 
therefore,  great  pleasure  to  write;  and  while  doing 
so  I  almost  imagine  myself  seated  in  your  midst, 
with  my  children  around  me,  and  sweet  Emma  on 
my  knee. 

"Never  did  I  see  a  Conference  progress  as  slowly 
in  business  as  this  has  done,  and  if  we  continue  to 
move  at  this  rate  we  will  be  here  till  July;  but  if  the 
Lord  permit  I  shall  try  hard  to  be  at  home  on  the 
evening  of  the  I2th  of  June. 

"On  yesterday  afternoon  the  whole  Conference, 
in  company  with  many  more,  about  five  or  six  hun- 
dred in  all,  took  a  delightful  excursion  on  a  steam- 
boat, among  the  islands  of  the  harbor  and  bay,  and 
out  to  the  opening  of  the  wide  Atlantic  Ocean.  We 
passed  Fort  Independence,  with  her  heavy  cannon 
pointing  at  us, .  just  ready  to  pour  her  deafening- 
thunder  upon  any  ships  of  war  that  might  attempt 
to  approach  the  city.  We  then  sailed  to  Fort  War- 
ren, about  ten  or  twelve  miles  from  Boston.  There 
we  all  landed,  and  went  through  the  fort  and  over 
the  grounds.  It  covers  an  area  of  ground  about  a 

o  *-* 

half  a  mile  in  circumference,  and  is  so  invulnerable 
that  I  apprehend  all  the  naval  forces  of  Europe  com- 
bined could  not  demolish  it  or  take  it  by  storm. 
We  there  had  a  fine  view  of  the  wide  waste  of  waters 
between  Europe  and  us.  The  great  Atlantic  spread 
out  its  blue  waters  before  us  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
see.  After  spending  a  half  an  hour  there,  we  re- 
turned to  Deer  Island,  five  miles  from  the  city,  and 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  249 

visited  the  hospital,  a  most  stupendous  building, 
with  its  hundreds  of  inmates.  Never  did  I  see  as 
many  poor,  miserable,  afflicted  creatures  before  at  one 
time.  To  go  through  the  different  apartments  of  the 
building,  and  see  all  the  victims  of  disease  and  mis- 
fortune, you  would  think  that  nature  had  opened  all 
her  vials  of  wrath  upon  that  community*  In  one 
story  of  the  house  there  were  hundreds  of  sick  men; 
in  another,  nothing  but  women ;  and  in  a  third,  a 
mass  of  suffering  children.  In  the  large  dining-hall 
the  city  authorities  had  prepared  us  a  splendid  sup- 
per, where  we  were  treated  with  all  the  respect  and 
attention  imaginable.  Never  was  a  body  of  minis- 
ters in  America  treated  with  so  much  respect  by  the 
civil  authorities  as  this  General  Conference.  Yester- 
day was  a  great  day  with  us  all.  All  I  wanted  was 
to  have  you  and  the  children  with  me,  and  my  hap- 
piness would  have  been  complete. 

"George's  letter,  dated  the  loth,  came  to  hand 
yesterday.  I  am  sorry  you  had  not  yet  received  my 
letters;  this  is  the  fourth  I  have  written  since  my 
arrival  in  Boston.  I  hope  you  have  received  them 
before  now.  The  first  week  my  health  was  very 
poor,  but  since  then  it  has  been  good.  I  think  rid- 
ing in  the  cars  made  me  sea-sick;  I  dread  returning. 

"I  do  not  wonder  that  the  people  die  in  this 
country  of  consumption.  Sudden  changes  in  the 
weather  here  are  more  cojnmon  than  I  have  ever 
known  in  any  other  country.  Hence,  many  of  the 
women  look  like  they  had  had  the  five-years'  ague. 
It  is  remarkable  that  the  men  here  a?re  generally 
handsome,  neat,  and  trim,  as  though  they  had  just 
come  out  of  a  band  box;  but  the  women  are  homely. 


250      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

I  have  seen  but  very  few  handsome  ladies  in  Boston. 
I  think  our  'Sucker'  ladies  will  compare  very  favor- 
ably with  those  of  Yankeedom. 

'  "I  now  fear  that  my  friend  Ames  can  not  be 
elected  bishop,  but  Dr.  Simpson,  of  Cincinnati,  will 
be  likely  to  succeed. 

"Have  Mary  and  Jody  write  a  few  lines  to  me 
in  George's  letter. 

"I  have  seen  but  one  'Bloomer'  since  I  came  to 
Boston,  and  I  suppose  I  have  seen  many  thousands 
of  ladies,  young  and  old,  in  the  streets  and  churches. 
The  one  that  I  saw  to-day  would  hardly  pass  for  a 
'Bloomer,'  as  her  dress  came  nearly  to  her  feet.  As 
vain  as  the  ladies  are  here,  they  can  not  go  the 
'  Bloomer.' 

"  We  have  secured  a  Book  Depository  and  paper 
at  Chicago.  Our  Conference  has  a  special  invita- 
tion to  hear  Daniel  Webster  speak  in  Faneuil  Hall, 
on  Saturday,  at  four  P.  M.,  but  I  have  been  engaged 
to  go  to  the  country  and  preach  on  the  Sabbath,  and 
therefore  fear  I  can  not  hear  him. 

"There  is  great  excitement  about  the  election  of 
our  officers,  such  as  bishops,  editors,  agents,  etc. ; 
but  I  thank  the  Lord  I  am  not  a  candidate,  and  feel 
no  ambition  on  the  subject.  When  I  write  again  the 
probability  is  I  can  report  the  new  bishops,  if  not  all 
the  officers,  as  we  have  now  determined  to  elect  the 
bishops  <5h  next  Tuesday. 

"It  is  now  Monday,  May  24th.  I  heard  Daniel 
Webster  speak  on  Saturday  in  Faneuil  Hall,  I  should 
think,  to  four  thousand  people.  He  is  emphatically 
the  idol  of  New  England.  I  have  returned  home  to- 
day quite  unwell,  scarcely  able  to  be  up.  Conference 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  251 

now  begins  to  move  on  in  a  more  business  like 
manner.  Some  think  we  will  adjourn  by  the  2d  or 
3d  of  June,  but  I  think  if  we  adjourn  by  Saturday 
night,  the  5th  of  June,  we  will  do  well.  I  hope  to 
be  at  home  by  the  I2th  of  June.  When  I  write 
again  I  can  speak  with  more  certainty  about  my 
return.  I  begin  to  sigh  for  home,  'sweet  home.' 
Kiss  my  Emma  for  me,  and  tell  the  other  children 
that  I  hope  to  see  them  soon. 

"Yours,  A.   E.   PHELPS." 

His  joy  on  receiving  a  letter  from  home  is 
remarkable,  and  gives  emphasis  to  the  remarks 
of  one  of  the  brethren  in  pen-portraiture,  that 
he  was  a  martyr  to  his  love  for  his  family. 
This  is  a  rare  fault,  if  not  a  virtue. 

"  BOSTON,  May  26,  1852. 

"My  DEAR  CHARLOTTE, — The  longer  I  am  from 
home  the  more  it  rejoices  my  heart  to  hear  from 
you.  On  Monday  and  yesterday  I  was  much  disap- 
pointed in  not  receiving  a  letter  from  home.  I 
usually  get  it  on  Monday ;  but  the  desired  boon 
came  to-day,  and  the  pleasure  it  afforded  me  is 
utterly  indescribable, — George's  letter  threbly  so,  on 
account  of  the  line  from  my  daughter  Mary,  and  a 
motto  from  her  that  is  dearer  to  me  than  my  life. 
The  motto  itself  I  esteem  a  gem  of  immense  value. 
I  am  much  obliged  to  you  and  to  Mary.  I  wish  I 
had  gotten  a  line,  also,  from  son  Jody.  I  received  a 
motto  from  him  last  week  that  did  me  much  good. 

"You  will  learn  before  you  get  this  that  our  new 
bishops  are :  Levi  Scott,  Matthew  Simpson,  O.  S. 
Baker,  and  E.  R.  Ames.  A  very  judicious  selection. 


252     TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

We  have  again  harnessed  the  two  old  war-horses, 
Doctors  Bond  and  Elliott,  to  edit  our  Advocates.  A 
retrograde  movement  is  not  always  honorable  and 
safe ;  but,  in  the  present  case,  I  think  it  both.  Four 
years  ago  Bond  and  Elliott  were  both  turned  out  of 
office,  and  now  both  are  restored.  The  session  up 
to  this  time  has  been  harmonious.  We  now  be- 
gin to  move  on  in  a  hurry,  and  look  forward  to 
adjournment. 

"I shave  seen  some  very  fine  military  companies 
and  some  brilliant  military  parades,  with  splendid 
brass  bands, — I  think  the  finest  I  ever  saw.  Boston 
is  a  cold  place  ;  whenever  the  wind  comes  from  the 
east  it  is  much  more  chilling  than  the  lake  winds. 
I  have  worn  my  cloak  most  of  the  time  since  I 
came  here.  Sometimes  in  one  hour  the  weather  will 
change  and  become  so  cold  that  I  almost  freeze.  I 
look  forward  with  great  interest  to  the  time  of  my 
return  home ;  and  though  I  have  been  well  treated  in 
Boston,  yet  I  am  getting  impatient  to  be  off. 

"Quite  a  disaster  occurred  on  the  railroad  in 
Michigan  a  few  days  since — two  trains  ran  together. 
Twenty  or  thirty  were  killed  and  many  wounded. 
This  is  the  second  accident  that  has  happened  within 
a  short  time.  I  expect  to  return  by  the  same  road. 

"It  is  now  Saturday  morning,  May  291!),  and  I 
close  my  letter,  hoping  not  to  be  a  week  behind  it 
getting  home.  I  have  an  appointment  again  at  New- 
ton to  morrow.  I  have  already  preached  there  four 
times;  the  reason  is,  the  people  have  been  so  exceed- 
ingly solicitous,  after  having  heard  me  preach  once, 
that  they  gave  me  no  peace.  Their  preacher  has 
been  after  me  from  Sabbath  to  Sabbath. 


BOSTON  GENERAL  CONFERENCE.  253 

"I  wish  I  had  my  children  here,  till  I  could  take 
them  into  the  Missionary  Museum,  where  they  could 
see  at  once  a  specimen  of  all  the  gods  of  the  heathen 
world.  There  is  a  collection  of  all  the  idols  or 
objects  of  worship  known  throughout  the  world. 
Mary  would  see  a  great  man}'  'doll-babies.'  Tell 
Mary  and  Jody  to  be  good  children  ;  tell  them  pa 
prays  for  them  every  day,  and  they  must  pray  for 
themselves.  I  find,  in  looking  over  my  letter,  that 
I  make  many  mistakes,  for  I  write  in  company  all 
the  time  and  amidst  conversation.  Once  more  I 
bid  you  farewell.  May  the  Lord  bless  you  my  dear 
wife  and  all  the  children. 

"Yours,  affectionately,  A.  E.  PHELPS." 


CHAPTER  ELEVENTH. 

CONTROVERSY   AT    HENRY— DEBATE  _AT   HENNEPIN— 
OBJECTIONS  TO  UNIVERSALISM. 

Preliminaries  of  Debate  at  Henry — Dr.  Stimmerbell — El- 
der Phelps's  Scriptural  Argument — Quotes  Luther — Summer- 
bell's  Rejoinder — C.  C.  Best — Sickness  of  His  Child — Motto — 
Second  Proposition — Rev.  Oliver  Ban — Third  Proposition — 
Rev.  J.  Luccock  Assisted  Mr.  Phelps — Dr.  Summerbell  and 
Rev.  M'Kinney  on  the  Negative — Remarks  on  the  Discus- 
sion— Sermon  of  Rev.  L.  Whitney — Debate  with  Mr.  Whit- 
ney— Preliminary  Sermons  —  Propositions — Arguments — Mr. 
Phelps's  Argument  Against  the  System. 

ON  June  ist  he  wrote:  "Conference  will 
adjourn  to-day.  It  has  been  a  session 
of  good  feeling.  Some  few  things  have  been 
done  that  some  of  us  could  not  sanction,  such 
as  striking  out  every  thing  in  the  Discipline 
against  pews,  but  the  majority  of  changes  I 
heartily  approve.  Rock  River  Conference  will 
be  on  the  I5th  day  of  September.  Our  boun- 
daries remain  unmolested."* 

Mr.  Phelps  had  the  honor  of  introduc- 
ing the  resolution  on  the  presiding  eldership, 
which  was  passed  by  a  large  majority. 

*To  Rev.  John  Morey. 
254 


DEBATE  WITH  ELDER  BARR.  255 

The  debate  with  Elder  Barr,  according  to 
agreement,  began  on  June  22,  1852.  Elder 
Phelps  had  been  home  from  General  Confer- 
ence only  a  few  days,  and  his  hands  were  full 
of  business  connected  with  his  district.  The 
first  half  day  was  occupied  in  settling  prelimi- 
naries. The  agreement  was  that  in  case  Elder 
Barr's  vocal  organs  gave  out  he  could  be  per- 
mitted to  furnish  a  substitute.  He  now  wished 
to  substitute  Rev.  Dr.  E.  Summerbell,  then 
president  of  Merom  College,  in  Ohio.  To 
this  Mr.  Phelps  objected.  It  would  be  simply 
setting  aside  the  terms  already  agreed  upon. 
He  was  willing  to  meet  even  such  a  noted 
champion  as  Dr.  Summerbell,  but  not  in  the 
place  of  Elder  Barr,  unless  he  gave  out.  It 
had  been  predicted  at  Blackberry  that  he  would 
never  meet  Mr.  Phelps  in  debate  again  if  he 
could  possibly  avoid  it. 

The  exact  form  of  the  first  proposition  is 
not  found  among  the  notes  of  the  debate.  It 
affirmed  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity.  Elder 
Phelps  affirmed ;  Elder  Barr  denied. 

After  the  arrangement  of  the  terms  of 
the  debate  was  made,  Mr.  Phelps  opened  on 
the  affirmative.  On  the  first  day  he  made 
two  speeches,  which  were  answered  by  Elder 
Barr,  as  his  notes  unmistakably  show.  The 


256      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

debate  had  not  proceeded  far  when  Rev.  Dr. 
E.  Summerbell,  of  Cincinnati,  was  substituted, 
for  Mr.  Barr,  with  Elder  Phelps's  consent. 
The  discussion  of  this  proposition  occupied 
seven  days.  It  was  a  battle  of  giants.  Ap- 
parently, as  if  by  special  scheming,  the  cause 
of  orthodoxy  was  to  be  tested  in  Henry,  Illi- 
nois, by  its  greatest  opponent  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  at  a  time  when  a  man  less  noted  had 
been  put  forward  for  that  purpose.  The  ex- 
citement was  intense. 

Mr.  Phelps  first  showed,  from  many  pas- 
sages of  Scripture,  that  the  Bible  teaches 
a  plurality  in  the  Godhead.  Secondly.  He 
proved  the  humanity  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Thirdly.  He  established  by  the  Scriptures 
the  Divine  Unity — that  there  is  but  one  God. 
Fourthly.  He  proved  the  deity  of  Christ  from 
the  divine  titles.  He  is  called  the  Lord  ;  the 
Lord  God ;  God ;  The  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac, 
and  Jacob;  the  Lord  God  of  Hosts;  the  "I 
Am ;"  Jehovah ;  the  Great  God ;  the  same 
God ;  the  only  wise  God ;  God  over  all  and 
blessed  forever ;  Prince  of  Peace ;  the  Lord  of 
Glory ;  the  lord  of  Lords  and  King  of  kings ; 
that  he  was  the  God  whom  the  Patriarchs  and 
Jews  worshiped  ;  the  God  who  gave  the  law  to 
Moses  amidst  the  deep  thunders  of  Sinai ;  the 


DEBATE  WITH  ELDER  BARR.  257 

God  to  whose  worship  the  temple  was  erected 
and  wherein  sacrifices  were  offered.  Fifthly. 
He  showed  that  Jesus  Christ  possessed  all  the 
perfection  of  the  divine  nature,  such  as  abso- 
lute eternity,  immutability,  omnipotence,  omni- 
presence, omniscience.  Sixthly.  The  works 
of  Christ  prove  his  divinity,  (i.)  Creation 
and  preservation.  (2.)  His  miracles.  (3.)  He 
gives  the  Holy  Ghost.  (4.)  He  forgives  sin. 
(5.)  Will  destroy  this  mundane  system.  (6.) 
Will  raise  the  dead.  (7.)  He  is  to  judge  the 
living  and  the  dead.  (8.)  He  distributes 
the  rewards  of  eternity.  (9.)  He  was  wor- 
shiped on  earth  and  in  heaven.  He  most 
clearly  established  the  deity  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
His  citations  of  Scripture  on  all  these  topics 
were  very  numerous  and  pointed. 

His  opponent  labored  earnestly  to  show  a 
contradiction  to  the  right  reason  in  the  affirmed 
threefold  nature  of  God.  He  declared  that  he 
was  a  boy  in  debate  compared  with  his  opponent, 
but  that  he  relied  on  the  justness  of  his  cause. 
He  attacked  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  with 
vigor.  He  said  we  can  not  cut  God  up  and 
label  the  parts.  He  declared  that  Noah  Web- 
ster was  a  Trinitarian ;  that  Luther  was  one ; 
that  this  doctrine  was  established  by  force  of 
law.  He  said  that  he  was  willing  to  stay  here 


258      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

a  year  longer  and  debate  this  question  with 
any  man. 

Just  before  the  discussion  began,  Mr.  Phelps 
was  summoned  from  the  pulpit  at  Prairie  Cen- 
ter, in  Lasalle  County,  to  the  bedside  of  little 
Emma,  then  supposed  to  be  dying.  During 
this  great  encounter  he  was  constantly  anxious 
about  his  family.  Besides,  he  was  now  pitted 
against  the  great  champion,  Rev.  Summerbell, 
who  came  with  a  good  reputation  for  scholar- 
ship and  eloquence,  and  had  the  advantage  of 
knowing  many  of  his  opponent's  strong  posi- 
tions in  advance. 

One  morning  on  going  into  the  pulpit  Mr. 
Phelps  found  in  his  Bible  a  beautiful  motto, 
"  May  angels  weave  for  thee  a  wreath  of  im- 
mortality," evidently  placed  there  by  a  faithful 
friend  of  the  Church  and  the  cause  he"  rep- 
resented. 

Mr.  Summerbell  was  bold  in  debate.  He 
was  a  rapid  speaker  and  a  good  manager,  and 
never  did  man  put  forth  greater  effort  to  defeat 
an  opponent  in  debate  than  did  he.  He  was 
evidently  well  matched  for  once. 

Dr.  Summerbell  denied  the  authenticity  of 
i  John  v,  7:  "For  there  are  three  that  bear 
record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the  Word,  and 
the  Holy  Ghost:  and  these  three  are  one." 


DEBATE  WITH  ELDER  BARR.  259 

He  affirmed  that  Martin  Luther  had  thrown 
it  out  of  his  translation.  Having  said  this  he 
shook  his  German  Bible  at  his  opponent,  and 
dared  him  to  find  it.  At  the  request  of  Elder 
Phelps,  Rev.  C.  C.  Best  walked  forward  and 
read  both  the  passage  alluded  to  and  Luther's 
comment  interlined.  This  was  a  very  serious 
blunder  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Summerbell,  and 
by  no  special  pleading  could  he  remove  the  im- 
pression either  that  he  was  ignorant  of  what 
Luther  had  said,  or  had  misrepresented  him. 
This  impression  worked  serious  damage  to  the 
cause  he  represented. 

The  second  proposition,  "Do  the  Scriptures 
of  divine  truth  teach  the  doctrine  of  the  proper 
and  personal  divinity  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ?"  was  debated  by  Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps 
and  Rev.  Oliver  Barr.  One  day  was  occupied 
in  the  discussion  of  this  question,  Mr.  Barr 
was  a  genial  and  pleasant  gentleman,  but  he 
was  "no  match"  for  Elder  Phelps.  This  day's 
debate  gave  Mr.  Summerbell  one  day  for  rest 
and  preparation  for  the  discussion  of  the  next 
proposition;  namely,  "Do  the  Scriptures  of 
divine  truth  teach  the  doctrine  of  a  vicarious 
atonement  made  by  the  death  and  mediation 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ?" 

Mr.   Phelps  affirmed,  and  was  assisted  by 


260      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Rev.  John  Luccock,  who  had  rode  all  night  in 
order  to  reach  the  place  of  debate  in  time.  He 
had  been  notified  by  mail  by  Elder  Phelps,  but 
the  letter  had  miscarried.  Dr.  N.  Summerbell 
denied,  and  was  assisted  by  Rev.  M'Kinney. 
Dr.  Luccock  was  then  in  his  prime ;  he  is  now 
an  old  man,  resting  by  the  river.  Mr.  M'Kin- 
ney was  the  equal  of  Dr.  Summerbell,  in  some 
respects  his  superior.*  This  double  debate 
opened  on  the  first  day  of  July.  It  lastedf 
one  day.  Rev.  Oliver  Barr  died  years  ago. 
By  special  request  Rev.  J.  W.  Agard  partici- 
pated in  the  funural  services. 

Rev.  Dr.  Summerbell  has  been  in  the  East 
for  many  years,  where  he  has  built  up  a  great 
reputation  as  the  defender  of  the  "New-light" 
doctrines.^  Mr.  Phelps  met  him  when  in  his 
prime  of  popularity  in  the  West,  and  drove 
,him  from  the  field  so  effectually  that  his  doc- 
trines and  followers  have  dwindled  away.  He 
met  him  without  preliminary  preparation  for 
discussion  with  so  able  an  exponent  of  Unita- 
rianism.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Summerbell  spoke 
highly  of  Mr.  Phelps's  ability  and  candor,  after 
the  latter  had  gone  to  his  reward.  This  was 


*Rev.  H.  Ritchie's  letter  to  author.        f  Ibid. 
J  Rev.  G.  W.  Coleman,  of  Congregational  Church,  Shef- 
field, 111.,  to  the  author. 


DEBATE  WITH  ELDER  BARR.  261 

well,  for  many  who  heard  the  debate  thought 
some  of  Dr.  Summerbell's  responses  to  Mr. 
Phelps's  arguments  and  occasional  sallies  of 
wit  exceedingly  coarse  and  in  bad  taste.  Some 
allowance  must  be  made  for  Church  preju- 
dices, and  the  friends  of  orthodoxy  can  afford 
to  be  generous,  for  all  must  admit  that  Dr. 
Summerbell  was  sorely  pressed. 

It  is  due  to  the  author  to  say  that  he  made 
an  effort  to  receive  a  statement  of  this  great 
controversy  from  Dr.  Summerbell  himself.  The 
letter  was  returned  unopened.  Application  was 
made  also  to  a  distinguished  divine  of  that  faith, 
a  gentleman  of  culture  and  scholarship,  and  he 
declined,  to  make  any  communication  on  the 
subject.*  There  are  many  living  witnesses  to 
the  main  statements  as  above  noted. 

Frequently  Mr.  Phelps  drove  home  after  the 
close  of  the  day's  discussion.  On  one  or  two 
instances  Seymour  Stover  took  Mr.  Phelps's 
place  during  his  absence.  On  one  occasion, 
after  his  return,  his  first  speech* was  sublime 
and  overwhelming. f  A  captain  of  one  of  the 
packets  was  present,  and  became  much  inter- 
ested. He  said  he  had  never  heard  Mr. 


*  Elder  Coville,  of  Buda,  111.     He  referred  to  Dr.  Sum- 
merbell as  the  best  authority. 

f  F.  Smith's  letter  to  the  author. 


262      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Phelps's  equal  on  the  "stump,"  at  the  bar,  or 
in  the  pulpit.  C.  C.  Best  said  he  had  never 
heard  his  superior  in  the  East  in  any  Church. 

The  friends  of  orthodox  Christianity  pre- 
sented Mr.  Phelps  with  a  paper,  largely  signed, 
assuring  him  of  their  gratitude  for  his  able  de- 
fense of  the  truth,  and  congratulating  him  on 
his  gentlemanly  deportment  under  severe  prov- 
ocation to  a  different  course.  Thus  he  had  not 
only  powerfully  vindicated  the  Church  of  Christ 
from  the  assaults  of  the  champions  of  Arian- 
ism,  but  he  had  carried  the  hearts  of  the 
people  with  him.  His  opponents  could  but  re- 
spect him. 

During  Mr.  Phelps's  stay  at  Hennepin,  some 
months  previously,  he  preached  a  powerful  ser- 
mon from  Matthew  xvi,  26.  Rev.  L.  Whit- 
ney, then  pastor  of  the  Universalist  Church, 
heard  the  discourse.  He  had  constantly  har- 
rassed  the  revival  meeting  at  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and,  of  course,  eagerly  re- 
plied soon  after,  to  Mr.  Phelps's  discourse. 
The  reply  was  published  in  some  of  the  secu- 
lar papers  and  the  New  Covenant,  published  at 
Chicago.  These  few  quotations  from  Mr. 
Whitney's  sermon  in  reply  will  indicate  to  the 
reader  how  the  issue  was  forced  upon  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  Mr.  Phelps. 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  263 


REVIEW  OF  REV.  MR.  PHELPS'S  SERMON  ON 
MATTHEW  XVI.  26. 

"  For  what  is  a  mau  profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole 
world  and  lose  his  own  soul  ?" 

"MESSRS.  EDITORS,  —  During  the  protracted  meet- 
ing which  our  Methodist  brethren  have  just  closed 
in  our  place,  Brother  Phelps,  of  Princeton,  was  sent 
for  to  aid  them  in  their  labor  for  souls.  As  it  was 
intimated  that  he  was  a  man  of  some  note  in  his 
denomination,  and  a  successful  revivalist,  I  went  one 
evening"  to  hear  him.  His  text  was  the  very  com- 
mon one  on  such  occasions,  'For  what  is  a  man 
profited,  if  he  shall  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose 
his  own  soul?'  Matt,  xvi,  26.  By  request  I  replied 
to  his  discourse  from  this  passage,  and  though  much 
of  it  was  unwritten,  as  some  of  our  friends  have  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  see  a  report  of  it  in  the  Covenant, 
the  substance  of  it,  in  very  unfinished  form,  is  at 
your  service.  Of  course,  brother  Phelps  (as  his  only 
object  was  to  save  souls)  set  out  with  the  assumption 
that  the  term  soul  in  the  text  meant  the  immortal 
spirit  of  man,  and  that  the  only  way  to  lose  it  was 
to  drop  it  at  death  into  an  endless  hell.  What 
though  he  must  have  known  that  the  same  original 
word  is  twice  translated  life  in  the  verse  preceding, 
and  that  some  of  the  best  orthodox  critics  assert 
that  it  has  the  same  meaning  in  the  text?  What 
though  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  the  learned  Methodist 
commentator,  does  say,  '  on  what  authority  many 
have  translated  the  word  pseuclie  in  the  twenty-fifth 
verse  life,  and  in  this  soul,  I  know  not,  but  am  cer- 
tain that  it  means  life  in  both  places?'  Was  he 


264      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

obliged  to  initimate  this  to  his  hearers,  and  thus 
throw  a  doubt  over  all  his  labors  for  their  salvation? 
When  the  end  is  to  draw  men  to  the  'anxious-seat,' 
and  in  a  few  brief  moments  to  save  these  immortal 
souls  from  the  endless  torture  of  the  God  that  made 
them,  I  submit  whether  there  is  much  time  to  be 
lost  in  nice  exposition,  or  care  in  getting  at  the  orig- 
inal meaning  of  words  and  texts?  So  brother  Phelps 
must  have  thought;  for  he  coolly  assumed  the  very 
things  that  needed  to  be  proved,  and  went  on  di- 
rectly to  his  work  of  playing  upon  the  popular 
prejudices  and  fears. 

"The  loss  of  the  soul!  There  is  nothing  more 
foreign  to  its  nature,  to  the  teachings  of  Scripture 
and  the  character  of  our  Heavenly  Father,  than 
a  technical  theology  has  imposed  upon  the  people. 
I  know  of  no  place  in  the  Bible  where  the  term  lost 
is  applied  to  man  or  the  soul  as  a  hopeless,  endless 
loss.  We  know  the  word  has  no  such  meaning  in 
common  use.  We  do  n't  speak  of  lo'st  things  as  an- 
nihilated, or  beyond  the  reach  of  recovery.  And 
can  not  the  Infinite  God,  '  who  will  have  all  men  to 
be  saved,  and  come  unto  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,' 
find  his  own  wandering,  lost  children?  So  the  poor 
prodigal  might  have  thought  till  he  'came  to  him- 
self.' But  his  father's  love  was  unchanged,  and  a 
father's  arms  were  open  to  embrace  him,  and  a  fa- 
ther's house  to  receive  him.  Even  we,  being  evil, 
clo  n't  give  up  our  children,  be  they  ever  so  bad,  in 
their  infancy  or  childhood,  as  hopelessly  lost.  And 
what,  I  ask,  is  not  the  longest  mortal  life  but  the 
merest  infancy  of  our  immortal  being?  And  shall 
not  the  Heavenly  Father  be  as  long-suffering,  as 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  265 

patient,  as  kind  to  his  children  as  we  are  to  ours? 
'Much  more,'  if  Christ  is  good  authority.  Then, 
can  it  be  possible  that  the  great  mass  of  his  children, 
after  the  merest  moment  of  early  probation,  are 
hopelessly,  endlessly  lost? — lost  to  all  good,  all  hope, 
all  mercy? — lost  to  all  progress  but  in  sin,  to  all  ref- 
ormation or  the  chance  of  reformation? — lost  to  the 
God  who  made  them,  the  Father  who  loved  them, 
except  to  endure  the  hottest  vials  of  his  wrath,  in  a 
state  without  use,  or  change,  or  end  ?  . 

"What  is  the  popular  doctrine  of  the  loss  of  the 
soul?  It  is,  that  without  an  infinite  atonement  for 
his  sinful  nature  man  is  born  under  the  wrath  and 
curse  of  his  Maker  and  Father,  which  (unless  pre- 
vented by  an  act  of  grace)  will  surely  result  in  the 
endless  suffering  of  every  human  soul  in  hell.  Ac- 
cording to  this  dreadful  theory,  the  loss  of  the  soul 
is  the  natural  result  of  its  birth  and  condition ;  and 
after  this  brief  life  it  is  final,  hopeless,  endless.  A 
few  days  or  mouths  or  years  of  an  earthly  probation, 
with  a  totally  depraved  nature  to  drag  it  down,  is  all 
it  has  to  balance  an  endless  eternity  of  sorrow  and 
despair.  And  it  does  not  better  the  case  that  some 
of  its  advocates  deny  their  belief  in  a  material,  burn- 
ing hell.  It  is  enough  that  they  consign  the  think- 
ing, feeling,  sensitive,  immortal  spirit  of  man,  after 
this  momentary  life,  to  a  state  of  perpetual,  endless 
sorrow  and  pain ;  to  a  state  beyond  the  reach  of  hope 
or  mercy;  to  constant  progress  in  sin  and  misery; 
with  no  chance  for  reformation,  with  its  Creator  and 
Father  for  its  tormentor,  and  with  no  good  end  to  be 
answered  by  it  but  the  infliction  of  an  arbitrary  pen- 
ally or  the  gratification  of  his  vengeance  upon  his 

23 


266      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

own  offspring.  I  accept  this  dreadful  issue.  I  deny 
that  reason,  nature,  the  universe,  or  the  Bible  teach 
or  intimate  any  such  doctrine.  I  pronounce  it  false 
on  the  face  of  it,,  just  as  I  pronounce  the  worst  sys- 
tems of  heathenism  false.  If  there  is  any  system  of 
paganism  that  can  match  this,  in  cruelty  and  absurd- 
it)',  I  know  it  not.  If  there  is,  or  was,  any  pagan 
deity  to  whom  his  worshipers  ascribe  more  weakness, 
partiality,  and  cruelty,  or  greater  defeat  in  his  gov- 
ernment, I  am  ignorant  of  the  fact. 

"But  I  proceed  to  give  other  reasons  for  rejecting 
this  doctrine.  If  we  will  dare  to  think  freely,  fear- 
lessly, upon  this  subject,  reasons  will  throng  us  on 
every  side.  Time  only  permits  me  to  suggest  a  few. 
And  I  can  not  enlarge  upon  them  ;  I  only  suggest 
them.  Let  reason,  conscience,  and  Scripture  try  them. 

"  I.  The  doctrine  of  the  endless  torture  of  the 
human  soul  denies  the  benevolence  of  God  in  the 
work  of  creation. 

"2.    It  is  irreconcilable  with  the  justice  of  God.  .  . 

"3.  It  denies  the  mercy  of  God;  or  else,  by  its 
theory  of  the  atonement  (substituted  punishment), 
makes  this  mercy  the  height  of  injustice  and  cruelty. 
Is  it  mercy  to  forgive  a  debt,  after  it  is  fully  paid  ?  .  . 

"4.  This  doctrine,  in  effect,  denies  all  degrees  in 
punishment,  so  that  men  are  not  rewarded  'accord- 
ing to  their  works.'  .  .  v 

"5.  It  makes  God  partial,  a  'respecter  of  per- 
sons' in  the  inequality  of  probation. 

"6.  It  is  unsuited  to  man's  present  capacities  and 
condition.  ... 

"7.  Endless  punishment  is  perfectly  useless.  .  .  . 

"8.   It  defeats  God's  'plan  of  redemption.'    .    .    . 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVEKSALISM.  267 

"9.  The  doctrine  is  not  taught  in  the  Scrip 
tures. 

"  IO.  This '  doctrine,  coupled  with  the  common 
idea  of  salvation  by  'getting  religion,'  and  'no 
change  after  death,'  would  lead  to  universal,  endless 
damnation.  .  I 

"II.  Brother  Phelps  disproved  -his  own  doctrine, 
by  some  of  his  arguments  to  prove  the  value  of  the 
human  soul.  ... 

"I  believe  in  the  loss  of  the  soul — the  fear  of 
punishment — a  just  and  impartial  judgment,  in  which 
men  are  'rewarded  according  to  their  works.'  I  be- 
lieve in  presenting  all  these  Scripture  facts  in  the 
sense  in  which  they  were  intended,  in  their  solemn 
import  and  meaning.  But  I  do  not  and  can  not  be- 
lieve in  that  dark  and  dreadful  -theology  that  has 
made  its  God  the  enemy  and  tormentor  of  his  own 
offspring,  the  'life  and  immortality  brought  to  light 
in  the  Gospel'  an  endless  curse,  and  a  burning  hell 
of  sin  and  suffering  the  grand  consummation  of  man's 
natural  destiny  and  God's  great  plan  of  creation  and 
redemption.  It  shocks  my  sense  of  justice.  It  makes 
reason  totter  on  its  throne,  in  contrasting  the  God  of 
nature — of  the  earth  and  sky,  in  their  beauty  and 
glory  and  love — with  the  dreadful  God  of  theology. 
It  dethrones  God  of  his  best  attributes.  It  darkens 
the  sun  in  the  heavens.  It  casts  a  pall  over  all 
things  fair  and  lovely  in  this  world,  and  fills  the  next 
with  doubt  and  apprehension  and  despair.  I  can 
never  ground  such  a  belief  upon  a  doubtful  word  or 
text.  No :  such  an  astounding  announcement  from 
the  Eternal  One  to  his  own  children  must  flame  out 
in  burning  characters  upon  the  face  of  the  sky— it 


268      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

must  flash  up  from  its  dark  pit  beneath — it  must 
utter  its  notes  of  warning  in  all  ears,  in  all  parts  of 
the  earth,  at  all  times,  or  it  can  not  be  true  that 
the  great  God  of  the  universe  has  turned  the  endless 
tormentor  of  the  works  of  his  own  hands — that  the 
great  mass  of  his  children  are  hopelessly  lost  to  the 
God  that  made  them.  Oh,  take  from  earth's  sor- 
rowing children  what  else  you  will,  but  leave  them 
as  the  center  of  their  faith,  as  the  anchor  of  their 
hope,  an  almighty  and  perfect  God,  an  everlasting 
Father,  as  the  refuge  of  their  souls." 

The  sermon  of  Mr.  Whitney  was  more  elo- 
quent than  logical ;  but  it  had  its  intended 
effect,  and  created  sympathy  for  the  cause  he 
represented,  and  stirred  up  increased  opposi- 
tion to  the  cause  of  evangelical  Christianity. 
The  sophistry  of  that  sermon  has  been  used 
by  every  advocate  of  that  system  since  the 
days  of  Hosea  Ballou.  Error  was  here  made 
exceedingly  attractive,  and  it  became  the  duty 
of  Elder  Phelps  to  meet  and  vanquish  his  wily 
opponent.  The  sequel  will  show  how  com- 
pletely his  antagonist  was  unhorsed. 

DEBATE  WITH  MR.  WHITNEY. 

On  Tuesday,  July  20,  1852,  brother  Phelps 
was  on  his  way  home  from  Washington,  and 
stopped  at  Hennepin.  Mr.  Whitney's  review 
of  his  sermon  was  placed  in  his  hands.  He 


DEBATE  ON  UNI  VERBALISM.  269 

read  it,  and  determined  to  reply  to  it  on  the 
following  Sabbath.  On  Saturday  he  preached, 
from  Hebrews  xi,  24,  25,  a  sweet  sermon  on 
the  faith  of  Moses  in  "refusing  to  be  called 
the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter."  On  Sabbath, 
at  ten  o'clock,  he  reviewed  Mr.  Whitney's  ser- 
mon in.  the  court-house.  At  two  o'clock  Mr. 
Whitney  replied.  At  four  o'clock  Mr.  Phelps 
answered  his  reviewer.  The  court-house  was 
crowed ;  the  excitement  was  intense.  Mr. 
Whitney  had  courted  such  a  conflict  for 
months,  and  was  eager  for  the  contest.  He 
was  evidently  confident  of  a  final  complete  tri- 
umph for  the  cause  he  so  ardently  represented. 
At  the  close  of  this  address  it  was  agreed  that 
a  discussion  should  commence  the  next  day  at 
ten  o'clock.  The  crowd  dispersed,  to  meet 
again  under  still  more  exciting  circumstances. 
To-morrow  the  battle  would  begin  in  earnest. 
Speculation  ran  high  as  to  the  result  of  the 
coming  struggle.  At  an  early  hour  on  the 
following  day  crowds  of  people  flocked  to  the 
court-house. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  discussion  began. 
The  propositions  for  discussion  were : 

1.  Do  the  Scriptures   teach   the  final  holi- 
ness and  happiness  of  all  the  human  race? 

2.  Do    the    Scriptures    teach    the    endless 


270     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

punishment  of  any  portion  of  the  human 
family  ? 

Mr.  Whitney  affirmed  the  first  proposition ; 
Mr.  Phelps,  the  second. 

Mr.  Whitney  argued  first,  in  support  of  his 
doctrine,  the  Fatherhood  of  God.  2.  That  his 
will  can  not  be  resisted.  That  he  is  love,  and 
love  worketh  no  ill.  That  God  wills  the  sal- 
vation of  all.  3.  That  it  was  the  purpose  of 
God  to  save  all  men.  He  laid  much  stress 
upon  the  twentieth  and  twenty-first  verses  of 
the  third  chapter  of  Acts  :  "And  he  shall  send 
Jesus  Christ,  which  before  was  preached  unto 
you :  whom  the  heavens  must  receive,  until 
the  time  of  restitution  of  all  things,  which  God 
hath  spoken  by  the  mouth  of  all  his  holy 
prophets  since  the  world  began." 

Mr.  Phelps  showed  that  this  passage  did 
not  prove  Universalism,  because  in  the  twenty- 
third  verse  it  says  expressly,  "And  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  every  soul  which  shall  not 
hear  that  prophet  shall  be  destroyed  from 
among  the  people;"  that  neither  the  Father- 
hood of  God,  his  goodness  nor  omnipotence, 
will  prevent  him  from  inflicting  punishment 
upon  the  children  of  men..  His  opponent  ad- 
mits that  God  punishes  sin  to  its  utmost  ex- 
tent. Then  he  asked,  "Where  is  mercy?" 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVEKSALISM.  271 

At  the  close  of  the  first  proposition  it  was 
evident  to  the  unbiased  that  the  victory  was 
with  the  negative. 

On  the  second,  Mr.  Phelps  affirmed  and 
supported  his  proposition:  i.  By  the  argument 
that  -the  ''eternal  salvation  of  men  is  condi- 
tional;" therefore,  men  may  be  lost.  2.  The 
Scriptures  teach  that  there  is  danger  of  com- 
ing short  of  salvation.  3.  The  Scriptures 
teach  that  there  will  come  a  time  when  it  will 
be  too  late  to  obtain  salvation.  4.  The  Scrip- 
tures absolutely  deny  salvation  to  certain  per- 
sons and  characters.  5.  The  Scriptures  rep- 
resent the  punishment  of  the  wicked  as  their 
"end,"  their  "last  end,"  and  their  "portion." 
6.  The  punishment  of  the  wicked  and  the  final 
reward  of  the  righteous  will  take  place  at  the 
same  time.  7.  There  will  be  a  general  judg- 
ment, after  the  resurrection,  of  the  just  and 
the  unjust.  8.  The  Scriptures  speak  of  a 
place  of  punishment.  9.  The  Scriptures  repre- 
sent the  punishment  of  the  wicked  as  endless. 

These  arguments  were  supported  by  many 
citations  of  Scripture.  To  these  pointed  texts 
Mr.  Whitney  offered  many  objections,  and  gave 
citations  of  Scripture. 

The  debate  closed.  The  result  was  not 
doubtful.  Mr.  Phelps  had  fairly  overwhelmed 


272      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

his  opponent  and  annihilated  his  objections, 
and  had  proved  by  Scripture  that  some  would 
suffer  endless  punishment. 

This  was  a  severe  blow  on  Universalism  in 
Hennepin.  In  a  memorandum-book,  procured 
July  1 3th,  may  be  found  arguments  against 
Universalism  that  deserve  a  place  in  this  vol- 
ume, and  will  be  interesting  to  the  reader  as 
inserted  in  this  connection. 

First  Objection:  The  recent  date  of  the 
system.  It  was  brought  forth  by  Hosea  Bal- 
lou,  in  the  year.  1818.  Origen,  in  the  third 
century,  was  a  Restorationist ;  he  believed  in 
the  pre-existence  and  transmigration  of  souls. 
The  Gnostics  are  claimed  as  Universalists,  but 
entertained  opinions  of  the  grossest  absurdity, 
such  as  the  eternity  and  malignity  of  matter; 
and  that  the  God  of  the  Bible  was  himself 
apostate. 

Second  Objection:  If  Universalism  be  true 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  salvation.  Salvation 
implies  deliverance  —  deliverance  from  evil  to 
which  the  subject  was  exposed.  But,  accord- 
ing- to  this  doctrine,  men  are  not  saved  in  this 

o 

life;  for  they  suffer  personally  all  their  sins 
deserve.  There  is,  therefore,  no  salvation 
here,  nor  in  the  world  to  come ;  for  they  are 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  273 

not  exposed  to  evil  or  suffering  in  the  future 
world,  as  this  system  maintains. 

Third  Objection:  It  contradicts  the  Bible 
in  asserting  that  men  are  punished  in  this  life 
in  full  for  all  their  sins.  Job  xxi,  7,  8,  9,  13  : 
"Wherefore  do  the  wicked  live,  become  old, 
yea,  are  mighty  in  power?  Their  seed  is 
established  in  their  sight  with  them,  and  their 
offspring  before  their  eyes.  Their  houses  are 
safe  from  fear,  neither  is  the  rod  of  God  upon 
them.  They  spend  their  days  in  wealth,  and 
in  a  moment  go  down  to  the  grave."  Jer. 
xii,  i  :  "  Righteous  art  thou,  O  Lord,  when  I 
plead  with  thee :  yet  let  me  talk  with  thee  of 
thy  judgments :  Wherefore  doth  the  way  of  the 
wicked  prosper  ?  Wherefore  are  all  they  happy 
that  deal  very  treacherously?"  Ecc.  ix,  2: 
"All  things  come  alike  to  all:  there  is  one 
event  to  the  righteous  and  to  the  wicked ;  to 
the  good,  and  to  the  clean  and  to  the  unclean ; 
to  him  that  sacrificeth,  and  to  him  that  sacri- 
ficeth  not ;  as  is  the  good,  so  is  the  sinner ; 
and  he  that  sweareth,  as  he  that  feareth  an 
oath."  Ps.  Ixvii,  3,  4,  5,  7,  12:  "For  I  was 
envious  at  the  foolish,  when  I  saw  the  pros- 
perity of  the  wicked.  For  there  are  no  bands 
in  their  death ;  but  their  strength  is  firm.  They 
are  not  in  trouble  as  other  men  ;  neither  are 


274     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

they  plagued  like  other  men.  Their  eyes  stand 
out  with  fatness  :  they  have  more  than  heart 
could  wish.  Behold  these  are  the  ungodly, 
who  prosper  in  the  world ;  they  increase  in 
riches."  I  Tim.  iv,  2:  "Speaking  in  hypoc- 
risy, having  their  conscience  seared  with  a  hot 
iron."  Eph.  iv,  19:  "Who,  being  past  feeling, 
have  given  themselves  over  unto  lascivious- 
ness,  to  work  all  uncleanness  with  greediness." 
2  Thes.  ii,  n,  12:  "And  for  this  cause  God 
shall  send  them  strong  delusion,  that  they 
should  believe  a  lie :  that  they  all  might  be 
damned  who  believed  not  the  truth,  but  had 
pleasure  in  unrighteousness."  Heb.  x,  36 : 
"For  ye  have  need  of  patience,  that,  after  ye 
have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive 
the  promise."  Prov.  v,  1 1  :  "  And  thou  mourn 
at  the  last,  when  thy  flesh  and  thy  body  are 
consumed." 

Fourth  Objection :  Universalism  teaches  the 
materiality  and  mortality  of  the  soul.  This 
doctrine  is  expressly  vindicated  by  Walter 
Balfour  in  his  inquiry.  (See  Rice,  page  H'3-) 
Most  of  the  advocates  of  the  system  assert 
the  doctrine  of  the  final  holiness  of  all  man- 
kind, mainly  upon  the  resurrection  argument ; 
if  this  is  to  fit  men  for  heaven,  then  both  soul 
and  body  must  be  the  subjects  of  this  resur- 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  275 

reetion,   and  therefore   both   alike   mortal  and 
material. 

The  following  Scriptures — Matt,  xxii,  32  : 
"I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of 
Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob  ?  God  is  not  the 
God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living."  Matthew, 
xvii,  3 :  "  And  behold,  there  appeared  unto 
them  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with  him."  Luke 
xxiii,  43  :  "  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  verily  I  say 
unto  thee,  to-day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  para- 
.dise."  Acts  vii,  59:  "And  they  stoned  Ste- 
phen, calling  upon  God,  and  saying,  Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit."  Phil,  i,  21  :  "  For  to  me  to 
live  is  Christ,  but  to  die  is  gain;"  23:  "For 
I  am  in  a  strait  betwixt  two,  having  a  desire 
to  depart,  and  to  be  with  Christ,  which  is  far 
better;"  24:  "Nevertheless,  to  abide  in  the 
flesh  is  more  needful  for  you."  2  Cor.  v, 
8,  9:  "We  are  confident,  I  say,  and  will- 
ing rather  to  be  absent  from  the  body,  and 
to  be  present  with  the  Lord.  Wherefore  we 
labor,  that;  whether  present  or  absent,  we  may- 
be accepted  of  him."  Luke  xvi,  22,  23  :  "And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  the  beggar  died,  and  was 
carried  by  the  angels  into  Abraham's  bosom. 
The  rich  man  also  died  and  was  buried  :  and  in 
hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments, 
and  seeth  Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his 


276     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

bosom."  Rev.  vii,  14 :  "  And  he  said  to  me, 
These  are  they  which  came  out  of  great  tribu- 
lation, and  have  washed  their  robes,  and  made 
them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb." 

Fifth  Objection :  This  doctrine  makes  God 
the  author  of  all  sin  in  the  world.  (See  Ballou 
on  "Atonement,"  pages  31,  32,  34,  36,  37; 
"  Pro  and  Con  of  Universalism,"  page  255  ;  Bal- 
lou on  "Atonement,"  page  41.)  "The  devil 
that  tempted  our  mother  Eve  was  her  carnal 
mind  that  God  gave  her."  (Ballou  on  "Atone- 
ment," page  48.)  "  Christ  tempted  by  his  own 
lusts."  (Page  49.)  "Man  a  mere  passive 
machine."  (Page  64.)  The  Scriptures  teach 
that  man  was  made  upright  and  in  the  image 
of  God.  Gen.  i.  27  :  "So  God  created  man  in 
his  own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created 
he  him;  male  and  female  created  he  them." 
Eph.  iv,  24:  "And  that  ye  put  on  the  new 
man,  which  after  God  is  created  in  righteous- 
ness and  true  holiness."  Gen.  i,  31  :  "And 
God  saw  every  thing  that  he  had  made :  and 
behold  it  was  very  good."  Eccl.  vii,  29:  "  Lo, 
this  only  have  I  found,  that  God  hath  made 
man  upright ;  but  they  have  sought  out  many 
inventions." 

Sixth  Objection :  It  denies  the  doctrine  of 
a  vicarious  atonement.  (Ballou  on  "Atone- 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  277 

merit,"  pages  122,  123,  177.)  Isa.  liii,  6,  10, 
12  ;  "All  we  like  sheep  have  gone  astray  ;  we 
have  turned  every  one  to  his  own  way  ;  and 
the  Lord  hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us 
all.  Yet  it  pleased  the  Lord  to  bruise  him  : 
he  hath  put  him  to  grief;  when  thou  shalt 
make  his  soul  an  offering  for  sin,  he  shall  see 
his  seed,  he  shall  prolong  his  days,  and  the 
pleasure  of  the  Lord  shall  prosper  in  his  hand. 
Therefore  will  I  divide  him  a  portion  with  the 
great,  and  he  shall  divide  the  spoil  with  the 
strong;  because  he  hath  poured  out  his  soul 
unto  death :  and  he  was  numbered  with  the 
transgressors  ;  and  he  bare  the  sin  of  many, 
and  made  intercession  for  the  transgressors." 
i  Peter  ii,  24:  "Who  his  own  self  bare  our 
sins  in  his  own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we, 
being  dead  to  sin,  should  live  unto  righteous- 
ness ;  by  whose  stripes  ye  were  healed."  i 
Peter  i,  18,  19:  "Forasmuch  as  ye  know  that 
ye  were  not  redeemed  with  corruptible  things, 
as  silver  and  gold,"  .  .  .  "but  with  the 
precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of  a  lamb  without 
blemish  and  without  spot."  Ezk.  xviii,  20: 
"The  soul  that  sinneth,  it  shall  die.  The  son 
shall  not  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  father,  neither 
shall  the  father  bear  the  iniquity  of  the  son  : 
the  righteousness  of  the  righteous  shall  be 


278     TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

upon  him,  and  the  wickedness  of  the  wicked 
shall  be  upon  him."  Lev.  xxii,  9:  "They 
shall,  therefore,  keep  mine  ordinance,  lest  they 
bear  sin  for  it,  and  die  therefore  if  they  pro- 
fane it."  Lam.  v,  7:  "  Our  fathers  have  sinned 
and  are  not ;  and  we  have  borne  their  iniqui- 
ties." Hence  it  is  said,  i  Peter  ii,  24:  "Who 
his  own  self  bare  our  sins."  Isa.  liii,  1 1  :  "  For 
he  shall  bear  their  iniquities."  12:  "And  he 
bare  the  sin  of  many."  Heb.  ix,  28:  "So 
Christ  was  once  offered  to  bear  the  sins  of 
many."  i  Cor.  xv,  3:  "For  I  delivered  unto 
you  first  of  all,  that  which  I  also  received, 
how  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according  to 
the  Scriptures."  Rom.  iv,  25:  "Who  was  de- 
livered for  our  offenses,  and  was  raised  again 
for  our  justification."  i  Peter  iii,  18:  "For 
Christ  also  hath  once  suffered  for  sins,  the  just 
for  the  unjust,  that  he  might  bring  us  to  God, 
being  put  to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened 
by  the  spirit."  Rom.  v,  6:  "  Much  more  then, 
being  now  justified  by  his  blood,  we  shall  be 
saved  from  wrath  through  him."  Eph.  i,  7  : 
"In  whom  we  have  redemption  through  his 
blood,  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  according  to  the 
riches  of  his  grace. "  Col.  i,  14:  "In  whom 
we  have  redemption  through  his  blood,  even 
the  forgiveness  of  sins."  i  Tim.  ii,  6:  "Who 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  279 

gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all,  to  be  testified 
in  due  time." 

Seventh  Objection :  Universalism  denies  the 
doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  or  the  par- 
don of  sin.  (Power  and  Doolittle,  page  114; 
Rice,  page  175.) 

Eighth  Objection:  While  the  Gospel  brings 
comfort  to  the  penitent  and  obedient,  Univer- 
salism comforts  the  sinner  in  his  sins.  Isa. 
Ixi,  i,  2,  3:  "The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is 
upon  me  ;  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed  me 
to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the  meek ;  he 
hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted, 
to  proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the 
opening  of  the  prison  to  them  that  are  bound ; 
to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  day  of  vengeance  of  our  God ;  to 
comfort  all  that  mourn  ;  to  appoint  unto  them 
that  mourn  in  Zion,  to  give  unto  them  beauty 
for  ashes,  the  oil  of  joy  for  mourning,  the  gar- 
ment of  praise  for  the  spirit  of  heaviness ; 
that  they  might  be  called  trees  of  righteous- 
ness, the  planting  of  the  Lord,  that  he  might 
be  glorified."  Isa.  Iv,  7:  "Let  the  wicked 
forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his 
thoughts  :  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord, 
and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our 
God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon."  Matt. 


280     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

v,  3,  8  :  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit:  for 
theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Blessed  are 
the  pure  in  heart  for  they  shall  see  God." 

Ninth  Objection :  The  Scriptures  and  rea- 
son teach  that  some  men  will  suffer  in  a  future 
state,  and  suffer  eternally.  Now  are  the  offers 
of  salvation.  2  Cor.  vi,  2:  "Behold,  now  is 
the  accepted  time ;  behold,  now  is  the  day  of 
salvation."  Some  die  impenitent.  John  iii, 
36:  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  ever- 
lasting life  :  and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son, 
shall  not  see  life;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abid- 
eth  on  him."  Mark  xvi,  16:  "He  that  be- 
lieveth and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ;  but  he 
that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned."  Mark 
iii,  29  :  "  But  he  that  shall  blaspheme  against 
the  Holy  Ghost  hath  never  forgiveness,  but  is 
in  danger  of  eternal  damnation."  Luke  xii, 
4:  "And  I  say  unto  you,  my  friends,  Be  not 
afraid  of  them  that  kill  the  body,  and  after 
that,  have  no  more  that  they  can  do."  Heb. 
ix,  27:  "And  as  it  is  appointed  unto  men  once 
to  die,  but  after  this  the  judgment."  Rev.  xx, 
11-15  :  "And  I  saw  a  great  white  throne,  and 
him  that  sat  on  it,  from  whose  face  the  earth 
and  the  heaven  fled  away ;  and  there  was  found 
no  place  for  them.  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small 
and  great,  stand  before  God ;  and  the  books 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  281 

were  opened :  and  another  book  was  opened, 
which  is  the  book  of  life :  and  the  dead  were 
judged  out  of  those  things  which  were  written 
in  the  books,  according  to  their  works.  And 
the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it ; 
and  death  and  hell  delivered  up  the  dead  which 
were  in  them:  and  they  were  judged  every 
man  according  to  their  works.  And  death  and 
hell  were  cast  into  the  lake  of  fire.  This  is 
the  second  death.  And  whosoever  was  not 
found  written  in  the  book  of  life  was  cast  into 
the  lake  of  fire."  Rev.  xxi,  7,  8:  "He  that 
overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things ;  and  I  will 
be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  But  the 
fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  the  abominable, 
and  murderers,  and  whoremongers,  and  sor- 
cerers, and  idolaters,  and  all  liars,  shall  have 
their  part  in  the  lake  which  burneth  with  fire 
and  brimstone ;  which  is  the  second  death." 
James  ii,  13:  "For  he  shall  have  judgment 
without  mercy  that  hath  shewed  no  mercy ; 
and  mercy  rejoiceth  against  judgment."  Heb. 
x,  26,  27,  28,  29:  "For  if  we  sin  wilfully  after 
that  we  have  received  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth,  there  remaineth  no  more  sacrifice  for 
sins,  but  a  certain  fearful  looking  for  of  judg- 
ment and  fiery  indignation,  which  shall  devour 

the    adversaries.     He   that   despised    Moses's 

24 


282     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

law  died  without  mercy  under  two  or  three 
witnesses ;  of  how  much  sorer  punishment, 
suppose  ye,  shall  he  be  thought  worthy,  who 
hath  trodden  under  foot  the  Son  of  God,  and 
hath  counted  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  where- 
with he  was  sanctified,  an  unholy  thing,  and 
hath  done  despite  unto  the  spirit  of  grace?" 
Prov.  xxix,  i  :  "He  that,  being  often  reproved, 
hardeneth  his  neck,  shall  suddenly  be  de- 
stroyed, and  that  without  remedy."  Matt, 
xxvi,  24:  "The  Son  of  man  goeth  as  it  is 
written  of  him :  but  wo  unto  that  man  by 
whom  the  Son  of  man  is  betrayed !  it  had  been 
good  for  that  man  if  he  had  not  been  born." 
Acts  i,  25:  "That  he  may  take  part  of  this 
ministry  and  apostleship,  from  which  Judas  by 
transgression  fell,  that  he  might  go  to  his  own 
place."  John  v,  28,  29:  "Marvel  not  at  this: 
for  the  hour  is  coming,  in  the  which  all  that 
are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  his  voice,  and  shall 
come  forth  ;  they  that  have  done  good,  unto 
the  resurrection  of  life ;  and  they  that  have 
done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  damnation." 
Luke  xiv,  14:  "And  thou  shalt  be  blessed: 
for  they  can  not  recompense  thee :  for  thou 
shalt  be  recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of 
the  just."  Acts  xxiv,  15:  "And  have  hope 
toward  God,  which  they  themselves  also  allow, 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  283 

that  there  shall  be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead, 
both  of  the  just  and  unjust."  Daniel  xii,  2  : 
"And  many  of  them  that  sleep  in  the  dust  of 
the  earth  shall  awake,  some  to  everlasting  life, 
and  some  to  shame  and  everlasting  contempt." 
Jude  7  :  "  Even  as  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  and 
the  cities  about  them  in  like  manner,  giving 
themselves  over  to  fornication,  and  going  after 
strange  flesh,  are  set  forth  for  an  example, 
suffering  the  vengeance  of  eternal  fire." 

Tenth  Objection :  Universalism  makes  God 
cruel,  unjust,  and  false  :  cruel  and  unjust,  be- 
cause it  represents  God  as  punishing  men  for 
doing  what  he  compelled  them  to  do ;  false, 
because  he  forbids  sin  in  his  Word,  and  yet 
compels  men  to  commit  it.  Ballou  on  "Atone- 
ment," p.  64;  "Pro  and  Con,"  290,  283-4,  9. 

The  following  Scriptures  he  quotes  to  show : 
i.  The  conditional  character  of  the  divine 
promises  ;  2.  That  God  pardons  sins ;  3.  The 
character  of  the  resurrection. 

GOD'S  PROMISES  CONDITIONAL. 

Genesis  xv,  13-16:  "And  he  said  unto 
Abram,  Know  of  a  surety  that  thy  seed  shall 
be  a  stranger  in  a  land  that  is  not  theirs,  and 
shall  serve  them ;  and  they  shall  afflict  them 


284      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

four  hundred  years ;  and  also  that  nation, 
whom  they  shall  serve,  will  I  judge  :  and  after- 
ward shall  they  come  out  with  great  substance. 
And  thou  shalt  go  to  thy  fathers  in  peace ; 
thou  shalt  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age.  But 
in  the  fourth  generation  they  shall  come  hither 
again :  for  the  iniquity  of  the  Amorites  is  not 
yet  full."  Exodus  xii,  24,  25  :  "And  ye  shall 
observe  this  thing  for  an  ordinance  to  thee  and 
to  thy  sons  forever.  And  it  shall  come  to  pass, 
when  ye  be  come  to  the  land  which  the  Lord 
will  give  you,  according  as  he  hath  promised, 
that  ye  shall  keep  this  service."  Numbers 
xiv,  28,  35  :  "  Say  unto  them,  As  truly  as  I 
live,  saith  the  Lord,  as  ye  have  spoken  in 
mine  ears,  so  will  I  do  to  you  :  .  .  .  I  the 
Lord  have  said,  I  will  surely  do  it  unto  all  this 
evil  congregation,  that  are  gathered  together 
against  me  :  in  this  wilderness  they  shall  be 
consumed,  and  there  they  shall  die."  Hebrews- 
3,  19:  "So  we  see  that  they  could  not  enter 
in  because  of  unbelief." 

GOD'S  PLEASURE. 

Isaiah  xlvi,  10:  "Declaring  the  end  from 
the  beginning,  and  from  ancient  times  the 
things  that  are  not  yet  done,  saying,  My  coun- 
sel shall  stand,  and  I  will  do  all  my  pleasure." 


DEBATE  ON  UNIVERSALISM.  285 

Psalm  v,  4 :  -"  For  thou  art  not  a  God  that 
hath  pleasure  in  wickedness :  neither  shall  evil 
dwell  with  thee."  Hebrews  x,  38  :  "  Now  the 
just  shall  live  by  faith  :  but  if  any  man  draw 
back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleasure  in  him." 

PARDON  OF  SIN. 

."Luke  xxiv,  46,  47:  "And  said  unto  them, 
Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behooved  Christ 
to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third 
day:  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of 
sins  should  be  preached  in  his  name  among  all 
nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem."  Matthew 
xxvi,  28  :  "  For  this  is  my  blood  of  the  new 
testament,  which  is  shed  for  many  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins."  Luke  i,  77:  "To  give 
knowledge  of  salvation  unto  his  people,  by  the 
remission  of  sins."  Acts  ii,  38:  "Then  Peter 
said  unto  them,  Repent,  and  be  baptized  every 
one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Acts  x,  43  :  "  To  him 
give  all  the  prophets  witness,  that  through  his 
name  whosoever  believeth  in  him  shall  receive 
remission  of  sins."  Romans  iii,  25  :  "  Whom 
God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation,  through 
faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  righteousness 


286      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past,  through 
the  forbearance  of  God." 

REMISSION  OF  SINS  IMPLIES  A  RELEASE  FROM  DE- 
SERVED PUNISHMENT. 

Matthew  vi,  12  :  "And  forgive  us  our  debts, 
as  we' forgive  our  debtors."  Luke  xi,  4:  "And 
forgive  us  our  sins ;  for  we  also  forgive  every 
one  that  is  indebted  to  us.  And  lead  us  not 
into  temptation ;  but  deliver  us  from  evil." 
Ephesians  iv,  32:  "And  be  ye  kind  one  to 
another,  tender-hearted,  forgiving  one  another, 
even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven 
you."  Colossians  iii,  13:  "Forbearing  one 
another,  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man 
have  a  quarrel  against  any ;  even  as  Christ 
forgave  you,  so  also  do  ye." 

RESURRECTION— THOSE  WORTHY  TO  OBTAIN  THAT 
WORLD. 

Luke  xxi,  36 :  "  Watch  ye  therefore,  and 
pray  always,  that  ye  may  be  accounted  worthy 
to  escape  all  these  things  that  shall  come  to 
pass,  and  to  stand 'before  the  Son  of  man." 
2  Thessalonians  i,  5  :  "  Which  is  a  manifest 
token  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  that 
ye  may  be  counted  worthy  of  the  kingdom  of 
God,  for  which  ye  also  suffer." 


CHAPTER  TWELFTH. 

SUBJECTS  AND 'MODE  OF  CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. 

Definition  of  the  Church  of  Christ — The  Old  Covenant — 
Justification  always  by  Faith — Unity  of  the  Church — Children 
Members  of  the  Jewish  Church — Scriptural  Proofs — The  Mode 
of  Baptism — Ban-re — Classical  Definition^ — The  Translations — 
Baptizo — Translations — The  Fathers — The  Prepositions — Scrip- 
tural Argument — Mr.  Wolf — Syrian  Christians — John's  Bap- 
tism— Christ's  Baptism — Sprinkling  represents  Sanclification. 

THIS  chapter  comprises  simply  the  notes 
used  by  Mr.  Phelps  in  debate  on  this 
subject,  stated  concisely  and  only  for  his  own 
use.  The  argument  couched  in  these  notes  is 
massive,  and  will  be  read  with  profit  by  all. 
Occasionally  the  reader  will  need  to  supply 
the  portion  of  the  sentence  implied. 

INFANT  BAPTISM. 

Matt,  xxviii,  19,  20:  "Go  ye  therefore  and  teach 
all  nations,  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost:  teaching 
them  to  observe  all  things,  whatsoever  I  have  com- 
manded you:  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway  even 
unto  the  end  of  the  world.  Amen."  Not  a  com- 
mission to  organize  a  new  Church,  but  to  extend  the 
bounds  of  the  old  one.  All  who  are  entitled  to 
membership  should  be  baptized.  To  sej^le  this  we 
turn  to  the  original  law  of  membership. 

287 


288      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

A  definition  of  tJie  Church  of  Christ.  "The  Church 
is  a  body  of  people  separated  from  the  world 
for  the  service  of  God,  with  ordinances  of  divine 
appointment,  and  a  door  of  entrance,  as  a  rite  by 
which  membership  shall  be  recognized."  Such  a 
Church  was  organized  in  the  family  of  Abraham. 
Gen.,  chapters  xii,  xv,  and  xvii.  In  the  two  former, 
the  covenant  is  named  ;  in  the  latter,  it  is  ratified  by 
circumcision,  and  a  Church  organization  consum- 
mated. Gen.  xvii,  7:  "And  I  will  establish  my  cove- 
nant between  me  and  thee,  and  thy  seed  after  thee, 
in  their  generations  for  an  everlasting  covenant,  to 
be  a  God  unto  thee."  Verse  10:  "This  is  my  cove- 
nant, which  ye  shall  keep,  between  me  and  you  and 
thy  seed  after  thee;  every  man  child  among  you 
shall  be  circumcised."  Verse  14:  "And  the  uncir- 
cumcised  man  child,  whose  flesh  of  his  foreskin  is 
not  circumcised,  that  soul  shall  be  cut  off  from  his 
people;  he  hath  broken  my  covenant." 

Abraham  and  his  posterity  were  from  this  time 
called  God's  people.  God  said  to  Pharaoh,  "Let 
my  people  go,  that  they  may  serve  me."  Ex.  viii, 
I.  Again,  Isa.  lii,  4:  "My  people  went  down  afore- 
time into  Egypt  to  sojourn  there."  Acts  vii,  38: 
"This  is  he,  that  was  in  the  Church  in  the  wilder- 
ness with  the  angel  which  spake  to  him  in  the  Mount 
Sinai,  and  with  our  fathers;  who  received  the  lively 
oracles  to  give  unto  us." 

That  this  covenant  embraced  spiritual  blessings  is 
evident,  first,  from  the  language,  "I  will  be  a  God 
unto  tliee, "  etc.  Refer  to  Jer.  xxxi,  33;  Heb.  viii, 
10;  Rev.  xxi,  3.  All  the  spiritual  blessings  the 
Christian  enjoys  under  the  present  dispensation,  they 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  289 

enjoyed  under  the  covenant  made  with  Abraham. 
Gal.  iii,  9:  "So  then  they  which  be  of  faith  are  blessed 
with  faithful  Abraham."  Gal.  iii,  14,  29:  "And  if 
ye  be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  and 
heirs  according  to  the  promise."  One  covenant  with 
Abraham:  I  Chron.  xvi,  15,  16,  17;  Ex.  ii,  24; 
Psalm  cv,  8,  9,  10,  n;  Acts  iii,  25. 

Children  then  were  put  in  the  Church  by  posi- 
tive law:  they  must  be  put  out  by  positive  law,  if 
at  all. 

1.  On    Church    identity.      Under   both   dispensa- 
tions the  same  God,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,  is  acknowledged,  worshiped,  and  obeyed. 

2.  The  same  moral  law  is  obligatory. 

3.  Under  both  dispensations  we   have  the  same 
Redeemer. 

4.  The    same    Gospel.      Gal.    iii,    8:   "And    the 
Scripture,    foreseeing    that    God    would    justify    the 
heathen    through   faith,  preached   before   the   Gospel 
unto  Abraham,  saying,  In   thee   shall  all  nations  be 
.blessed."     Heb.  iv,  2:  "For  unto  us   was   the   Gos- 
pel preached,  as  well  unto  them,"  etc. 

5.  The  doctrine  of  justification  by  faith  was  taught 
under   both  dispensations.      Rom.  iv.  3:  "For  what 
saith    the   Scripture?      Abraham   believed    God,   and 
it    was    counted  unto   him   for   righteousness."      Lsa. 
xxviii,  16:  "Therefore  thus  saith  the  Lord  God,  Be- 
hold, I  lay  in  Zion  for  a  foundation  a  stone,  a  tried 
stone,  a  precious  corner  stone,  a  sure  foundation  :  he 
that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste." 

6.  The   doctrine   of  sanctification   by  the    Holy 
Spirit   is   taught  in    this   text;   Ezek.  xxxvi,  25,  26: 
"Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye 

25 


290      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

shall  be  clean:  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all 
your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you.  A  new  heart  also 
will  I  give  you,  and  a  new  spirit  will  I  put  within 
you:  and  I  will  take  away  the  stony  heart  out  of 
your  flesh,  and  I  will  give  you  an  heart  of  flesh." 
Psalm  li,  10:  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God; 
and  renew  a  right  spirit  within  me." 

7.  The  resurrection  of  the  dead  taught  in  the  Old 
Testament.     Job  xix,  25,  26:  "For  I  know  that  my 
Redeemer  liveth,  and  that  he  shall  stand  at  the  latter 
day  upon  the  earth :  and  though  after  my  skin  worms 
destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God." 
i   Cor.  xv,  3,  4:  "For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of 
all,  that  which  I  also  received,  how  that  Christ  died 
for  our  sins  according  to  the  Scriptures;  and  that  he 
was   buried,  and   that   he   rose   again    the    third   day 
according  to  the  Scriptures." 

8.  Repentance  taught  also  in*  Psalm  li,   17:  "The 
sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit:  a  broken  and  a 
contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  will  not  despise."     Isa. 
Iv,  6,  7:  "Seek  ye  Lord  while  he  may  be  found,  call 
ye  upon   him  while  he  is  near:    let  the  wicked   for- 
sake his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts: 
and   let  him   return    unto   the   Lord,  who   will   have 
mercy  upon  him;  and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abund- 
antly pardon." 

That  the  same  covenant  made  with  Abraham, 
and  that  constituted  the  children  of  believers  mem- 
bers of  the  Church,  still  exists  under  the  Gospel  dis- 
pensation is  evident — 

I.  From  the  fact  that  it  was  "confirmed  in 
Christ."  Gal.  iii,  17:  "And  this  I  say,  That  the 
covenant  that  was  confirmed  before  of  God  in  Christ, 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  291 

the  la\v,  which  was  four  hundred  and  thirty  years 
after,  can  not  disannul,  that  it  should  make  the 
promise  of  no  effect." 

2.  It    engaged   to  bless  all  nations.     Gal.  iii,  8: 
"And  the  Scripture,  forseeing   that   God  would  jus- 
tify the    heathen  through   faith,  preached  before  the 
Gospel  unto  Abraham,  saying,  In   thee  shall  all  na- 
tions be  blessed." 

3.  Christians  are  Abraham's  seed.     Gal.  iii,  7.  29; 
"Know  ye  therefore,  that   they  which  are  of  faith, 
the  same  arc  the  children  of  Abraham.      And  if  ye 
be  Christ's,  then  are  ye  Abraham's  seed,  and   heirs 
according   to   the    promise."     Rom.   iv,    11,    12,    16: 
"And  he  received  the  sign  of  circumcision,  a  seal  of 
the  righteousness  of  the  faith  which  he  had  yet  be- 
ing uncircumcised:  that  he  might  be  the  father  of  all 
them  that  believe,  though  they  be  not  circumcised, 
that  righteousness  might  be  imputed  unto  them  also; 
and  the  father  of  circumcision  to  them  who  are  not 
of  the  circumcision  only,  but  who  also  walk  in  the 
steps  of  that  faith  of  our  father  Abraham,  which  he 
had    being    yet    uncircumcised.      Therefore    it    is    of 
faith,   that    it   might   be   by   grace;    to   the   end   the 
promise  might  be  sure  to  all  the  seed:  not  to  that 
only  which  is  of  the  law,  but  to  that  also  which  is 
of  the  faith  of  Abraham,  who  is  the  father  of  us  all." 

4.  Both  Paul  and  Peter  assert  its  existence  under 
the  present  dispensation.  Gal.  iii,  15,  16,  17: 
"Brethren,  I  speak  after  the  manner  of  men;  though 
it  be  but  a  man's  covenant,  yet  if  it  be  confirmed, 
no  man  disannulleth  or  addeth  thereto.  Now  to 
Abraham  and  his  seed  were  the  promises  made. 
He  saith  not,  And  to  seeds,  as  of  many;  but  as  of 


292      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

one,  and  to  thy  seed,  which  is  Christ.  And  this  I 
say,  That  the  covenant  that  was  confirmed  before  of 
God  in  Christ,  the  law,  which  was  four  hundred  and 
thirty  years  after,  can  not  disannul,  that  it  should 
make  the  promise  of  none  effect."  Acts  iii,  25: 
"Ye  are  the  children  of  the  prophets,  and  of  the 
covenant  which  God  made  with  our  fathers,  saying 
unto  Abraham,  And  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  kin- 
dreds of  the  earth  be  blessed." 

That  the  Church  is  essentially  the  same  both 
under  the  Jewish  and  Christian  dispensations,  while 
the  exterior  dress  and  ordinances  have  been  changed, 
is  evident  from  the  following  Scriptures: 

Isa.  liv,  i,  2,  3:  "Sing,  O  barren,  thou  that  didst 
not  bear;  break  forth  into  singing,  and  cry  aloud, 
thou  that  didst  not  travail  with  child ;  for  more  are 
the  children  of  the  desolate  than  the  children  of  the 
married  wife,  saith  the  Lord.  Enlarge  the  place  of 
thy  tent,  and  let  them  stretch  forth  the  curtains  of 
thine  habitations;  spare  not,  lengthen  thy  cords,  and 
strengthen  thy  stakes;  for  thou  shalt  break  forth  on 
the  right  hand  and  on  the  left;  and  thy  seed  shall 
inherit  the  Gentiles,  and  make  the  desolate  cities  to 
be  inhabited." 

Isa.  Ix,  i,  2,  3,  4,  5:  "Arise,  shine;  for  thy  light 
is  come,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  is  risen  upon 
thee.  For  behold,  the  darkness  shall  cover  the 
earth,  and  gross  darkness  the  people:  but  the  Lord 
shall  arise  upon  thee,  and  his  glory  shall  be  seen 
upon  thee.  And  the  Gentiles  shall  come  to  thy 
light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy  rising.  Lift 
up  thine  eyes  round  about,  and  see:  all  they  gather 
themselves  together,  they  come  to  thee:  thy  sons 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  293 

shall  come  from  far,  and  thy  daughters  shall  be 
nursed  at  thy  side.  Then  thou  shalt  see,  and  flow 
together,  and  thine  heart  shall  fear,  and  be  enlarged ; 
because  the  abundance  of  the  sea  shall  be  converted 
unto  thee,  the  forces  of  the  Gentiles  shall  come 
unto  thee." 

Matt,  xxi,  43:  "Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  the 
kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from  you,  and  given 
to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof." 

Matt,  viii,  II,  12:  "And  I  say  unto  you,  that 
many  shall  come  from  the  East  and  West,  and  shall 
sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the 
kingdom  of  heaven.  But  the  children  of  the  king- 
dom shall  be  cast  out  into  outer  darkness :  there  shall 
be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth." 

Rom.  xi,  1 6,  17,  1 8,  19,  20,  21,  23,  24:  "For  if 
the  first  fruit  be  holy,  the  lump  is  also  holy  :  and 
if  the  root  be  holy,  so  are  the  branches.  And  if 
some  of  the  branches  be  broken  off,  and  thou  being 
a  wild  olive-tree,  \vert  graffed  in  among  them,  and1 
with  them  partakest  of  the  root  and  fatness  of  the 
olive-tree,  boast  not  against  the  branches ;  but  if 
thou  boast,  thou  bearest  not  the  root,  but  the  root 
thee.  Thou  wilt  say  then,  the  branches  were  broken 
off  that  I  might  be  graffed  in.  Well;  because  of 
unbelief  they  were  broken  off,  and  thou  standest  by 
faith.  Be  not  highminded,  but  fear.  For  if  God 
spared  not  the  natural  branches,  take  heed  lest  he 
also  spare  not  thee.  And  they  also,  if  they  abide 
not  still  in  unbelief,  shall  be  graffed  in  :  for  God  is 
able  to  graff  them  in  again.  For  if  thou  wert  cut 
out  of  the  olive-tree  which  is  wild  by  nature,  and 
wert  graffed  contrary  to  nature  into  a  good  olive- 


294     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

tree ;  how  much  more  shall  these,  which  be  the  nat- 
ural branches,  be  graffed  into  their  own  olive-tree?" 

Eph.  ii,  11—22:  "Wherefore  remember,  that  ye 
being  in  time  past  Gentiles  in  the  flesh  who  are 
called  uncircumcision  by  that  which  is  called  the  cir- 
cumcision in  the  flesh  made  by  hands ;  that  at  that 
time  ye  were  without  Christ,  being  aliens  from  the 
commonwealth  of  Israel,  and  strangers  from  the  cov- 
enants of  promise,  having  no  hope,  and  without  God 
in  the  world  ;  but  now,  in  Christ  Jesus,  ye  who  some- 
time were  afar  off,  are  made  nigh  by  the- blood  of 
Christ.  For  he  is  our  peace,  who  hath  made  both 
one,  and  hath  broken  down  the  middle  wall  of  parti- 
tion between  us,  having  abolished  in  his  flesh  the  en- 
mity, even  the  law  of  commandments  contained  in 
ordinances:  for  to  make  in  himself  of  twain  one  new 
man,  so  making  peace  ;  and  that  he  might  reconcile 
both  unto  God,  in  one  body  by  the  cross,  having 
slain  the  enmity  thereby :  and  came  and  preached 
peace  to  you  which  were  afar  off,  and  to  them  that 
were  nigh.  For  through  him  we  both  have  access  by 
one  Spirit  unto  the  Father.  Now,  therefore,  ye  are 
no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow-citizens 
with  the  saints,  aird  of  the  household  of  God ;  and 
are  built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Jesus  Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner- 
stone ;  in  whom  all  the  building  fitly  framed  together, 
groweth  unto  an  holy  temple  in  the  Lord  :  in  whom 
ye  also  are  builded  together,  for  an  habitation  of 
God  through  the  Spirit." 

Acts  xv,  16,  17:  "After  this  I  will  return,  and 
will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of  David  which  is 
fallen  down;  and  I  will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof, 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  295 

and  I  will  set  it  up ;  that  the  residue  of  men  might 
seek  after  the  Lord,  and  all  the  Gentiles,  upon  whom 
my  name  is  called,  saith  the  Lord,  who  doeth  all 
these  things." 

We  have  now  proved  the  perpetuity  of  the  cove- 
nant made  with  Abraham.  First.  That  covenant 
secured  Church  membership  to  infants  as  fully  as  to 
believing  adults.  Secondly,  the  Church  set  up  in  the 
family  of  Abraham  is  the  same  in  which  Christians 
under  the  Gospel  dispensation  enjoy  membership. 
And,  thirdly,  into  this  Church  infants  were  placed  by 
positive  law. 

Where  is  the  law  of  repulsion  Or  rejection?  The 
apostles  were  Jews,  and  therefore  would  not  have 
expelled  children  without  a  -command,  eight  years 
before  they  would  preach  to  a  Gentile.  Matt,  xxviii, 
19,  20:  "  Go  ye  therefore  and  teach  all  nations,  bap- 
tizing them  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the 
Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;  teaching  them  to 
observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you  :  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  always,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world.  Amen." 

Children  belong  to  Christ  by  purchase,  by  re- 
demption. Rom.  v,  18:  "Therefore,  as  by  the 
offense  of  one  judgment  came  upon  all  men  to  con- 
demnation, even  so  by  the  righteousness  of  one  the 
free  gift  came  upon  all  men  unto  justification  of  life." 

Penitent  believing  adults  are  baptized  because 
their  repentance  and  faith  have  brought  them  into 
connection  with  Christ.  Infants  sustain  the  same 
relation.  Repentance  and  faith  with  them  are  un- 
necessary. Repentance  supposes  guilt ;  faith  secures 
an  interest  in  Christ.  Infants  have  no  need  of  either. 


296     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

They  have  this  interest  by  virtue  of  the  atonement. 
Matt,  xix,  14:  "But  Jesus  said,  Suffer  little  children, 
and  forbid  them  not,  to  come  unto  me,  for  of  such  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven."  In  Mark  x,  13,  14,  they 
are  called  young  children.  Verse  16:  "And  he 
took  them  up  in  his  arms,  put  his  hands  upon  them, 
and  blessed  them."  In  Luke  xviii,  15,  they  are 
called  "infants." 

Acts  xvi,  14,  15:  "And  a  certain  woman  named 
Lydia,  a  seller  of  purple,  of  the  city  of  Thyatira, 
which  worshiped  God,  heard  us :  whose  heart  the 
Lord  opened,  that  she  attended  unto  the  things 
which  were  spoken  of  Paul.  And  when  she  was 
baptized,  and  her  household,  she  besought  us,  say- 
ing, If  ye  have  judged  me  to  be  faithful  to  the 
Lord,  come  unto  my  house,  and  abide  there.  And 
she  constrained  us." 

Acts  ii,  38,  39:  "Then  Peter  said  unto  them, 
Repent,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and 
ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  For 
the  promise  is  unto  you,  and  to  your  children,  and 
to  all  that  are  afar  off,  even  as  many  as  the  Lord 
our  God  shall  call." 

Eph.  vi,  i:  "Children,  obey  your  parents  in  the 
Lord:  for  this  is  right." 

1.  These   children  were  so  young  that  Paul   en- 
joins no  duty  but  to  obey  their  parents,  and  the  par- 
ents to  bring   up   their  children   in  the  nurture   and 
admonition  of  the  Lord. 

2.  These    children   were   in    the    Church.      First. 
From    the    addresses    of   the    letter.      Second.   They 
were  said   to  be   in  the  Lord — this  implies  Church 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  297 

membership.  Philemon  16:  "  Not  now  as  a  servant, 
but  above  a  servant,  a  brother  beloved,  especially  to 
me,  but  how  much  more  unto  thee,  both  in  the 
flesh,  and  in  the  Lord."  Romans  xvi,  7-11. 

3.  They  are  commanded  to  honor  their  father 
and  mother,  which  was  the  first  commandment  with 
promise.  This  promise  was  first  made  to  children  in 
the  covenant  with  God.  Exodus  xx,  12:  "Honor 
thy  father  and  thy  mother;  that  thy  days  may  be 
long  upon  the  land  which  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth 
thee."  Deuteronomy  v,  16:  "  Honor  thy  father  and 
thy  mother,  as  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  commanded 
thee;  that  thy  days  may  be  prolonged,  and  that  it 
may  go  well  with  thee,  in  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee."  Genesis  xvii,  8:  "And  I 
will  give  unto  thee,  and  to  thy  seed  after  thee,  the 
land  wherein  thou  art  a  stranger,  all  the  land  of 
Canaan,  for  an  everlasting  possession;  and  I  will  be 
their  God."  I  Corinthians  x,  I,  2:  "Moreover, 
brethren,  I  would  not  that  ye  should  be  ignorant 
how  that  all  our  fathers  were  under  the  cloud,  and 
all  passed  through  the  sea;  and  were  all  baptized 
unto  Moses,  in  the  cloud  and  in  the  sea."  I  Corin- 
thians vii,  14:  "For  the  unbelieving  husband  is 
sanctified  by  the  wife,  and  the  unbelieving  wife  is 
sanctified  by  the  husband:  else  were  your  children 
unclean  ;  but  now  are  they  holy." 

Lastly,  the  historic  evidences.  Children  can  be 
taken  into  covenant  with  God.  Deuteronomy  xxix, 
10,  II,  12:  "Ye  stand  this  day  all  of  you  before  the 
Lord  your  God  ;  your  captains  of  your  tribes,  your 
elders,  and  your  officers,  with  all  the  men  of  Israel, 
your  little  ones,  your  wives,  and  thy  stranger  that  is 


298      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

in  thy  camp,  from  the  hewer  of  thy  wood  unto  the 
drawer  of  thy  water:  that  thou  shouldest  enter  into 
covenant  with  the  Lord  thy  God,  and  into  his  oath, 
which  the  Lord  thy  God  maketh  with  thee  this  day." 
Objection:  Both  men  and  women  were  baptized, 
but  no  children.  Joshua  viii,  25,  26:  "And  so  it 
was,  that  all  that  fell  that  day,  both  of  men  and 
women,  were  twelve  thousand,  even  all  the  men  of 
Ai.  For  Joshua  drew  not  his  hand  back,  wherewith 
he  stretched  out  the  spear,  until  he  had  utterly  de- 
stroyed all  the  inhabitants  of  Ai."  Judges  ix,  49, 
50,  51:  "And  all  the  people  likewise  cut  down 
every  man  his  bough,  and  followed  Abimelech,  and 
put  them  to  the  hold,  and  set  the  hold  on  fire  upon 
them  ;  so  that  all  the  men  of  the  towers  of  Shechem 
died  also,  about  a  thousand  men  and  women.  Then 
went  Abimelech  to  Thebez,  and  encamped  against 
Thebez,  and  took  it.  But  there  was  a  strong  tower 
within  the  city,  and  thither  fled  all  the  men  and 
women,  and  all  they  of  the  city,  and  shut  it  to  them, 
and  gat  them  up  to  the  top  of  the  tower." 

The  subject  of  the  mode  of  Christian  bap- 
tism has  provoked  discussion  among  sister 
Churches  throught  Christendom.  The  earnest 
advocates  of  exclusive  immersion,  in  the  belief 
that  they  alone  hold  the  truth  on  this  subject, 
have  compelled  investigation.  The  brief  out- 
line of  the  argument  in  favor  of  baptism  by 
sprinkling  or  pouring  is  concise,  comprehen- 
sive, and  apparently  unanswerable. 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  299 


THE  MODE  OF  BAPTISM. 
BAPTO 


The  lexicons  render  this  word  to  wash,  as  well 
as  to  immerse,  etc. 

Hedericus  renders  the  word,  "To  immerse,  to 
plunge,  to  dye,  to  wash,"  etc. 

Scapula:  "To  immerse,  to  plunge;  also,  to  stain, 
dye,  color;  also,  to  wash." 

Coulon:  "To  immerse,  to  dye,  to  cleanse." 

Ursinus:  "To  dip,  to  dye,  to  wash,  to  sprinkle." 

Schrevelius:  "To  dip,  to  dye,  to  wash,  to  draw 
water." 

Groves:  "To  dip,  plunge,  immerse,  to  wash,  to 
wet,  to  moisten,  sprinkle,  to  steep,  imbue,  to  dye." 

Donnegan  :  "To  dip,  to  plunge  into  water,  to 
submerge,  to  wash,  to  dye,  to  color,"  etc. 

Dr.  Carson,  a  Baptist  critic  of  great  distinction, 
says:  "  Bapto  signifies  to  dye  by  sprinkling,  as 
properly  as  by  dipping;  though  originally  it  was 
confined  to  the  latter."  Again:  "Nor  are  such  ap- 
plications of  the  word  to  be  accounted  for  by  meta- 
phor, as  Dr.  Gale  asserts;  they  are  as  literal  as  the 
primary  meaning." 

BAPTIZO  (BaxTtZo). 

Scapula,  one  of  the  old  lexicographers:  "To  dip, 
or  immerse,  also  to  dye  —  as  we  immerse  things  for 
the  purpose  of  coloring  or  washing  them  ;  also  to 
plunge,  submerge,  to  cover  with  water,  also  to 
cleanse,  to  wash."  Baptismos  he  thus  defines:  "Im- 
mersion, washing,  cleansing,  the  act  itself  of  immers- 
ing, also  washing  or  cleansing." 


3OO      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Hedericus :  "i.  To  dip,  immerse,  to  cover  with 
water ;  2.  To  cleanse,  to  wash  ;  4.  To  baptize  in  a 
sacred  sense." 

Stephanas:  "To  dip,  immerse,  as  we  immerse 
things  for  the  purpose  of  coloring  or  washing;  to 
merge,  submerge,  to  cover  with  water,  to  cleanse, 
to  wash." 

Schleusner:  ''Not  only  to  plunge,  immerse,  but 
to  cleanse — as  to  purify  with  water." 

Parkhurst:  "To  immerse  in,  or  wash  with,  water 
in  token  of  purification." 

Robinson:  "To  immerse,  to  sink,  for  example, 
spoken  of  ships,  galleys,"  etc.  In  the  Ne\V  Testa- 
ment, "to  wash,  to  cleanse  by  washing,  to  wash  one's 
self,  to  bathe,  perform  ablution,"  etc. 

Schrevelius:  "To  baptize,  to  immerse,  to  cleanse, 
to  wash." 

Groves:  "To  dip,  immerse,  immerge,  plunge;  to 
wash,  cleanse,  purify,  to  wash  one's  self,  bathe." 

Bretschneider:  "Often  to  dip,  often  to  wash; 
then,  Old  Testament,  simply  to  wash,  to  cleanse." 

Suidas:  "Not  only  to  sink,  plunge,  immerse,  but 
to  wet,  wash,  cleanse,  purify,"  etc. 

Wall:  "First,  wash,  perform  ablution,  cleanse; 
secondly,  to  immerse,"  etc. 

Greenfield:  "To  immerse,  immerge,  submerge, 
sink;"  and  in  the  New  Testament,  "To  wash,  per- 
form ablution,  cleanse,  to  immerse." 

Thus  Robinson,  one  of  the  first  lexicographers, 
first  gives  the  definition  to  immerse,  to  sink  ;  but  in 
the  New  Testament  the  first  meaning  he  finds  is  to 
wash,  to  cleanse  by  washing,  to  perform  ablution. 

Bretschneider  gives,  as  the  general  meaning  of  the 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  301 

word  baptizo,  "Often  to  dip,  often  to  wash."  But 
in  the  New  Testament  the  first  meaning  he  gives  is 
simply,  to  wash,  to  cleanse. 

Greenfield,  in  the  New  Testament:  "To  wash, 
perform  ablution,  cleanse,  to  immerse." 

CLASSICS.     Bapto. 

Hippocrates  says  of  a  certain  coloring  fluid : 
"When  it  drops  on  the  garments  they  are  baptized." 

Carson,  the  Baptist  critic,  says  that  Nearchus  re- 
lates that  the  Indians  baptized  their  beards,  and  he 
(Carson)  remarks,  "It  will  not  be  contended  that  it 
was  done  by  immersion." 

Elian  says  of  an  old  coxcomb,  who  endeavored 
to  conceal  his  age,  that  he  "baptized  his  hair." 

Aristotle  speaks  of  a  substance  which,  "being 
pressed,  staineth  [/9«^re{]  the  hand." 

Plutarch  says  of  a  Roman  general,  who  died  on 
the  field  of  his  wounds,  that,  having  set  up  a  trophy, 
he  baptized  his  hand  in  blood  and  wrote  an  in- 
scription. 

Hippocrates  said,  "If  the  blister  be  painful,  bap- 
tize it  with  a  little  breast-milk." 

THE  TRANSLATIONS. 

The  Peshito-Syriac,  Ethiopic,  and  the  Vulgate 
have  all  rendered  the  word  bapto,  sprinkled,  in  Rev- 
elation xix,  13. 

Jerome,  the  author  of  the  Vulgate,  was  himself  a 
true  immersionist,  and  yet,  despite  his  prejudices,  he 
translated  bapto  by  the  word  sprinkle. 

Origen,   the   most  learned  of  the  Greek  Fathers, 


302     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

lias   translated   tins   passage  the   same  way;  he  has 
substituted  rhantizo  for  bapto. 

BAPTIZO. 

The  old  Peshito-Syriac  version  does  not  translate 
the  word  baptize  by  any  word  implying  immersion, 
but  by  the  word  "Amad." 

Schaaf,  in  his  Syriac  lexicon,  defines  ainad  thus: 
"He  washed  himself,  \vaswashed,  stained,  immersed 
in  water,  was  baptized."  He  has  examined  every 
place  in  the  New  Testament  where  that  word  occurs, 
and  finds  not  one  place  where  it  implies  immersion. 

The  Vulgate,  and  the  old  Italic  version  from 
which  it  was  rendered :  Neither  of  them  translates 
the  word  immerse,  but  in  both  it  is  transferred,  as 
in  our  version. 

The  Vulgate,  too,  it  should  be  remembered,  was 
translated  in  the  fourth  century,  when  the  practice 
of  immersion  was  very  general,  yet  instead  of  trans- 
lating the  word  baptizo  by  mergo  or  immerge,  merely 
transfers  it. 

Tyndale,  in  his  translation,  also  transfers  the  word 
wherever  it  refers  to  the  ordinance;  where  it  is  not 
so  used  he  translates  it  by  the  word  wash,  as  in 
Mark  vii,  4:  "And  when  they  come  from  the  mar- 
ket, except  they  wash,  they  eat  not.  And  many 
other  things  there  be,  which  they  have  received  to 
hold,  as  the  washing  of  cups,  and  pots,  and  brazen 
vessels,  and  tables."  Luke  xi,  38:  "And  when  the 
Pharisee  saw  it,  he  marveled  that  he  had  not  first 
washed  before  dinner." 

The  Arabic  version,  which  is  of  the  greatest 
authority,  translates  baptizo  by  a  word  of  the  same 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  303 

import  as  the  Syriac  word  "Amad,"  implying  to 
wash. 

The  Persic  version  also  translates  baptize  by  a 
word  signifying  to  wash. 

The  Ethiopia  translates  it  by  a  word  implying 
ablution  as  well  as  immersion. 

The  Sahiolic  and  Basmusic  versions  transfer  the 
word. 

The  Armenian  uses  a  word  which  in  one  instance 
.signifies  to  dip;  in  all  others  implies  to  bathe,  or 
perform  ablution. 

The  Anglo  Saxon  translation  uses  a  word  which 
means  to  cleanse. 

The  Geneva  Bible,  Italic,  Arias-Montamis,  and 
Tyndale's  all,  either  transfer  the  word  baptizo,  or 
translate  it  by  a  word  that  signifies  to  wash  or 
cleanse. 

Mr.  Rice  gives  nineteen  versions,  in  not  one  of 
Avhich  is  baptizo  translated  by  a  word  that  definitely 
signifies  to  immerse. 

THE  FATHERS. 

Cyprian  and  his  council  of  bishops,  sixty-six  in 
number,  in  the  year  250  decided  on  the  validity  of 
sprinkling  or  pouring  in  baptism  in  case  of  sickness, 
and  quoted  Ezek.  xxxvi,  25,  in  proof  of  sprinkling: 
"Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water  upon  you,  and  ye 
shall  be  clean:  from  all  your  filthiness,  and  from  all 
your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you." 

Arelius  Prudentius,  who  wrote  in  the  year  390, 
speaking  of  John's  baptism,  says,  "He  poured  water 
on  them  in  the  river." 

Paulinus,  Bishop  of  Nola,  a  few  years  later,  says: 


304      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"He  [John]  washed  away  the  sins  of  unbelievers  by 
the  pouring  of  water." 

Bernard,  speaking  of  the  baptism  of  our  Lord 
by  John,  says:  "The  creature  poured  water  on  the 
head  of  the  Creator." 

Origen  says  that  Elislia  baptized  the  altar.  I 
Kings  xviii,  33:  "And  he  put  the  wood  in  order, 
and  cut  the  bullock  in  pieces,  and  laid  him  on  the 
Avood,  and  said,  Fill  four  barrels  with  water,  and  pour 
it  on  the  burnt  sacrifice,  and  on  the  wood." 

Clemens  Alexandrinus  speaks  of  a  certain  back- 
slider who  was  reclaimed  by  the  Apostle  John,  and 
says:  "He  was  baptized  a  second  time  with  tears." 

Athanasius  mentions  eight  baptisms,  one  of  which 
was  by  tears. 

Gregory  Nazianzen  says:  "I  know  of  a  fourth 
baptism,  that  of  martyrdom  and  blood,  and  I  know 
of  a  fifth,  that  of  tears." 

Basil  tells  us  of  a  martyr  that  was  baptized  into 
Christ  with  his  own  blood.  When  immersion  be- 
came the  general  practice  of  the  Church  in  the  third 
and  fourth  centuries,  the  Greeks,  when  they  wished 
to  express  immersion  definitely,  used  the  word  kata- 
dcjio,  but  still  retained  the  word  baptizo  to  denote 
the  ordinance.  The  Latins  likewise  used  different 
words  to  denote  immersion,  such  as  mergo,  mergito, 
immergo;  but  when  they  spoke  of  baptism  in  their 
own  language,  they  rendered  it  lavo. 

GREEK  PREPOSITIONS — elq  AND  I*. 

2  Kings  vi,  4:  "So  he  went  with  them.  And 
when  they  came  to  (efc)  Jordan,  they  cut  down 
wood."  John  viii,  23:  "And  he  said  unto  them,  Ye 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  305 

are  from  (*x)  beneath;  I  am  from  (*%)  above:  ye  are 
of  (£*)  this  world;  I  am  not  of  (£x)  this  world." 
John  ix,  i:  "And  as  Jesus  passed  by,  he  saw  a  man 
which  was  blind  from  (ix)  his  birth."  John  xi,  31- 
38:  "The  Jews  then  which  were  with  her  in  the 
house,  and  comforted  her,  when  they  saw  Mary,  that 
she  rose  up  hastily  and  went  out,  followed  her,  say- 
ing, She  goeth  unto  (sl<-)  the  grave  to  weep  there. 
Then  when  Mary  was  come  where  Jesus  was,  and 
saw  him,  she  fell  down  at  (efc)  his  feet,  saying  unto 
him,  Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my  brother  had 
not  died.  When  Jesus  therefore  saw  her  weeping, 
and  the  Jews  also  weeping  which  came  with  her,  he 
groaned  in  the  spirit,  and  was  troubled,  and  said, 
Where  have  ye  laid  him?  They  said  unto  him,  Lord, 
come  and  see.  Jesus  wept.  Then  said  the  Jews, 
Behold  how  he  loved  him.  And  some  of  them  said, 
Could  not  this  man  which  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
blind  have  caused  that  even  this  man  should  not 
have  died?  Jesus  therefore  again  groaning  in  him- 
self, cometh  to  (sl<-)  the  grave.  It  was  a  cave,  and  a 
stone  lay  upon  it." 

Acts  xxvi,  14:  "And  when  we  were  all  fallen  to 
(ete)  the  earth,  I  heard  a  voice  speaking  unto  me, 
and  saying  in  the  Hebrew  tongue,  Saul,  Saul,  why 
persecutest  thou  me?  It  is  hard  for  thee  to  kick 
against  the  pricks."  John  xx,  3,  4,  5:  "Peter  there- 
fore went  forth,  and  that  other  disciple,  and  came  to 
(et?)  the  sepulchre.  So  they  ran  both  together:  and 
the  other  disciple  did  outrun  Peter,  and  came  first 
to  (efc)  the  sepulchre.  And  he  stooping,  and  look- 
ing in,  saw  the  linen  clothes  lying;  yet  went  he  not 
in."  Matt,  xvii,  24:  "And  when  they  were  come  to 

26 


306      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 


Capernaum,  they  that  received  tribute-money 
came  to  Peter,  and  said,  Doth  not  your  master  pay 
tribute?"  Matt,  v,  i:  "And  seeing  the  multitudes, 
he  went  up  into  (efc)  a  mountain,  and  when  he  was 
set,  his  disciples  came  unto  him." 

ANASTAS.     PAUL'S  BAPTISM. 

He  arose  and  was  baptized.  Matt,  xxvi,  62: 
"And  the  high-priest  arose,  and  said  unto  him, 
Answerest  thou  nothing?  What  is  it  which  these 
witness  against  thee?"  Mark  xiv,  57:  "And  there 
arose  certain,  and  bare  false  witness  against  him, 
saying,"  etc.  Acts  i,  15:  "And  in  those  days  Peter 
stood  up  in  the  midst  of  the  disciples,  and  said 
(the  number  of  the  names  together  were  about  an 
hundred  and  twenty)."  Acts  xiii,  16:  "Then  Paul 
stood  up,  and  beckoning  with  his  hand,  said,  Men 
of  Israel,  and  ye  that  fear  God,  give  audience." 
Acts  xv,  7:  "And  when  there  had  been  much 
disputing,  Peter  rose  up  and  said  unto  them,  Men 
and  brethren,  ye  know  how  that  a  good  while  ago, 
God  made  choice  among  us,  that  the  Gentiles,  by 
my  mouth,  should  hear  the  word  of  the  Gospel, 
and  believe."  Acts  xi,  28:  "And  there  stood  up 
one  of  them  named  Agabus,  and  signified  by  the 
spirit,  that  there  should  be  great  dearth  through- 
out all  the  world;  which  came  to  pass  in  the  days 
of  Claudius  Caesar. 

BAPTIZO  AND  BAPTO  AS  USED  IN  THE  SCRIPTURE. 

Mark  vii,  4:  "And  when  they  come  from  the 
market,  except  they  wash  they  eat  not.  And  many 
other  things  there  be,  which  they  have  received  to 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  307 

hold,  as  the  washing  of  cups,  and  pots,  and  brazen 
vessels,  and  tables." 

Luke  xi,  38:  "And  when  the  Pharisees  saw  it, 
he  marveled  that  he  had  not  first  washed  before  din- 
ner." Here  Mr.  Campbell  himself  renders  this  pas- 
sage wash.  The  Baptist  translation  renders  both  of 
the  above  by  the  word  bathe.  (Debate,  page  14.) 

Heb.  ix,  10:  "Which  stood  only  in  meats  and 
drinks,  and  divers  washings,  and  carnal  ordinances, 
imposed  on  them  until  the  time  of  reformation.''' 

Some  of  those  divers  baptisms  are  mentioned  in 
the  I3th,  ipth,  and  2ist  verses:  "For  if  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  goats,  and  the  ashes  of  an  heifer  sprink- 
ling the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  the 
flesh.  .  .  .  For  when  Moses  had  spoken  every 
precept  to  all  the  people  according  to  the  law,  he 
took  the  blood  of  calves  and  of  goats,  with  water, 
and  scarlet  wool,  and  hyssop,  and  sprinkled  both  the 
book  and  all  the  people.  .  .  .  Moreover,  he 
sprinkled  with  blood  both  the  tabernacle  and  all  the 
vessels  of  the  ministry." 

Lev.  xiv,  6,  7:  "As  for  the  living  bird,  he  shall 
take  it,  and  the  cedar-wood,  and  the  scarlet,  and  the 
hyssop,  and  shall  dip  them,  and  the  living  bird,  in 
the  blood  of  the  bird  that  was  killed  over  the  running 
water.  And  he  shall  sprinkle  upon  him  that  is  to 
be  cleansed  from  the  leprosy  seven  times,  and,  shall 
pronounce  him  clean,  and  shall  let  the  living  bird 
loose  into  the  open  field."  Verse  16:  "And  the 
priest  shall  dip  his  right  finger  in  the  oil  that  is  in 
his  left  hand,  and  shall  sprinkle  of  the  oil  with  his 
finger  seven  times  before  the  Lord." 

Num.  xix,   17—20:    "And  for  an  unclean   person 


308     TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

they  shall  take  of  the  ashes  of  the  burnt  heifer  of 
purification  for  sin,  and  running  water  shall  be  put 
thereto  in  a  vessel :  and  a  clean  person  shall  take 
hyssop,  and  dip  in  the  water,  and  sprinkle  it  upon 
the  tent,  and  upon  all  the  vessels,  and  upon  the  per- 
sons that  were  there,  and  upon  him  that  touched  a 
bone,  or  one  slain,  or  one  dead,  or  a  grave.  And 
the  clean  person  shall  sprinkle  upon  the  unclean  on 
the  third  day,  and  on  the  seventh  day ;  and  on  the 
seventh  day  he  shall  purify  himself,  and  wash  his 
clothes,  and  bathe  himself  in  water,  and  shall  be 
clean  at  even.  But  the  man  that  shall  be  unclean, 
and  shall  not  purify  himself,  that  soul  shall  be  cut 
off  from  among  the  congregation,  because  he  hath 
defiled  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord :  the  water  of  sep- 
aration hath  not  been  sprinkled  upon  him :  he  is 
unclean." 

i  Cor.  x,  I,  2:  "Moreover,  brethren,  I  would  not 
that  ye  should  be  ignorant  how  that  all  our  fathers 
were  under  the  cloud,  and  all  passed  through  the  sea; 
and  were  all  baptized  unto  Moses  in  the  cloud,  and 
in  the  sea." 

Matt,  iii,  ii:  "I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water 
unto  repentance ;  but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is 
mightier  than  I,  whose  slices  I  am  noteworthy  to 
bear :  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
with  fire." 

Acts  ii,  i,  2,  3,  4,  17,  18,  33:  "And  when 
the  day  of  Pentecost  was  fully  come,  they  were  all 
with  one  accord  in  one  place.  And  suddenly  there 
came  a  sound  from  heaven,  as  of  a  rushing  mighty 
wind,  and  it  filled  all  the  house  where  they  were  sit- 
ting. And  there  appeared  unto  them  cloven  tongues 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  309 

like  as  of  fire,  and  sat  upon  each  of  them.  And 
they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  began 
to  speak  with  other  tongues,  as  the  Spirit  gave  them 
utterance."  Verse  17:  "And  it  shall  come  to  pass 
in  the  last  clays,  saith  God,  I  will  pour  out  of 
my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh :  and  your  sons  and  your 
daughters  shall  prophesy,  and  your  young  men  shall 
see  visions,  and  your  old  men  shall  dream  dreams: 
and  on  my  servants,  and  on  my  handmaidens,  I  will 
pour  out  in  those  days  of  my  Spirit;  and  they 
shall  prophesy."  Verse  33:  "Therefore  being  by 
the  right  hand  of  God  exalted,  and  having  received 
of  the  Father  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  he 
hath  shed  forth  this,  which  ye  now  see  and  hear." 
Acts  x,  44:  "While  Peter  yet  spake  these  words, 
the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  all  them  which  heard  the 
Word."  Acts  xi,  15:  "And  as  I  began  to  speak, 
the  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  them,  as  on  us  at  the  begin- 
ning." Peter  says  the  Holy  Ghost  "fell"  on  them. 

ARGUMENTS  FOR  SPRINKLING  OR  POURING. 

First  Argument :  All  the  washings  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament where  the  mode  is  prescribed  are  required  to 
be  performed  by  sprinkling.  Lev.  xiv ;  Num.  xix, 
17,  20.  These  were  emblematic  of  spiritual  cleaning 
or  sanctification. 

Ps.  v,  1-7:  "Purge  me  with  hyssop,  and  I  shall 
be  clean  :  wash  me,  and  I  shall  be  whiter  than  snow." 

Isa.  i,  16:  "Wash  ye,  make  you  clean:  put 
away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  before  mine  eyes ; 
cease  to  do  evil." 

Second  Argument:  The  inspired  writers  never  rep- 
resent sanctification  by  dipping  a  person  in  water. 


3io     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Third  Argument:  The  inspired  writers  did  con- 
stantly represent  sanctification  by  sprinkling  or 
pouring. 

Ezk.  xxxvi,  25:  "Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean 
water  upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean  :  from  all  your 
filthiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you." 

Isa.  xliv,  3:  "For  I  will  pour  water  upon  him 
that  is  thirsty,  and  floods  upon  the  dry  ground :  I 
will  pour  ray  Spirit  upon  thy  seed,  and  my  blessing 
upon  thine  offspring." 

Isa.  lii,  15:  "So  shall  he  sprinkle  many  nations; 
the  kings  shall  shut  their  mouths  at  him  :  for  that 
which  had  not  been  told  them  shall  they  see  ;  and 
that  which  they  had  not  heard  shall  they  consider." 
Fourth  Argument:  The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
of  which  water  baptism  is  an  emblem,  is  also  called 
baptism. 

I  Cor.  xii,  13:  "For  by  one  Spirit  are  we  all 
baptized  into  one  body,  whether  we  be  Jews  or  Gen- 
tiles, whether  we  be  bond  or  free;  and  have  been  all 
made  to  drink  into  one  Spirit. 

Matt,  iii,  n:  "I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water 
unto  repentance:  but  he  that  cometh  after  me  is 
mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to 
bear :  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
Avith  fire." 

The  one  we  know  is  performed  by  pouring,  so 
must  be  the  other. 

Fifth  Argument:  From  the  time  Christian  bap- 
tism was  instituted  there  is  not  an  instance  on  record 
where  any  apostle  or  minister  went  one  step  out 
of  his  way  in  search  of  water  for  the  purpose  of 
baptizing. 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  311 

Sixth  Argument:  The  circumstances  under  which 
baptism  was  frequently  administered  were  unfavor- 
able to  immersion.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  three 
thousand  w'ere  baptized  in  six  hours  in  Jerusalem. 
Acts  ii,  41  :  "Then  they  that  gladly  received  his 
word  were  baptized :  and  the  seme  day  there  were 
added  unto  them  about  three  thousand  souls." 

The  Jailor  Baptized  in  Prison.  Acts  xvi,  33 : 
"And  he  took  them. the  same  hour  of  the  night,  and 
washed  their  stripes;  and  was  baptized,  he  and  all 
his,  straightway." 

Pauls  Baptism.  Acts  xxii,  16:  "And  now  why 
tarriest  thou?  Arise,  and  be  baptized,  and  wash 
away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord." 

Sei'enth  Argument:  John  says,  "I  indeed  baptize 
you  with  water.  He  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy 
Ghost." 

Eighth  Argument:  Immersion  is,  under  many  cir- 
cumstances, to  say  the  least  of  it,  a  burdensome 
rite  :  in  sickness  often  dangerous,  in  many  countries 
impracticable. 

Ninth  Argument:  Pure  water  should  be  required 
for  purposes  of  baptism.  Heb.  x,  22:  "Let  us 
draw  near  witli  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  of 
faith,  having  our  hearts  sprinkled  from  an  evil  con- 
science, and  our  bodies  washed  with  pure  water." 
This  can  not  always  be  done  in  immersion. 

Tenth  Argument :  I  John  v,  7,  8  :  "For  there  are 
three  that  bear  record  in  heaven,  the  Father,  the 
Word,  and  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  these  three  are  one. 
And  there  are  three  that  bear  witness  in  earth,  the 
spirit,  and  the  water  and  the  blood :  and  these  three 
a«ree  in  one." 


312     TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

The  blood  we  know  is  sprinkled.  Heb.  xii,  24: 
"And  to  Jesus  the  Mediator  of  the  new  covenant, 
and  to  the  blood  of  sprinkling,  that  speaketh  better 
things  than  that  of  Abel."  I  Peter  i,  2:  "Elect 
according  to  the  foreknowledge  of  God  the  Father, 
through  sanclification  of  the  Spirit,  unto  obedience 
and  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ:  grace 
unto  you,  and  peace  be  multiplied." 

The  Spirit  is  poured  out. 

Tertullian  of  the  third  century  is  the  first  writer 
of  credit  that  speaks  of  immersion. 

Cyprian  and  his  council  of  bishops,  sixty-six 
in  number,  decided  on  the  validity  of  baptism  by 
sprinkling  in  the  year  254,  and  quote  in  proof 
Ezk.  xxxvi,  25:  "Then  will  I  sprinkle  clean  water 
upon  you." 

Mr.  Walker,  an  English  writer,  who  studied  this 
subject  with  great  care,  in  his  book  on  baptism 
mentions  the  case  of  a  man,  some  sixty  or  seventy 
years  after  the  apostles,  who,  whilst  on  a  journey, 
Avas  taken  dangerously  ill,  professed  Christianity, 
and  desired  baptism.  As  water  could  not  be  ob- 
tained, the  place  being  a  desert,  he  was  sprinkled 
with  sand  ;  he  recovered,  and  the  case  being  reported 
to  the  bishop,  he  decided  that  he  was  baptized,  "if 
only  water  was  poured  on  him."  (Page  178.) 

Mr.  Wolf,  the  missionary  in  Mesopotamia,  men- 
tions in  his  journal  a  sect  of  Christians  he  found 
there  that  called  themselves  "the  followers  of  John 
the  Baptist,  who  was  a  follower  of  Christ."  Among 
other  questions,  Mr.  Wolf  inquired  of  them  their 
mode  of  baptism,  and  was  answered,  "The  priests 
or  bishops  baptize  children  thirty  days  old.  They 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  313 

take  the  child  to  the  banks  of  the  river;  a  relative 
or  friend  of  the  child  holds  it  near  the  surface  of  the 
water  while  the  priest  sprinkles  the  element  upon 
the  child,  and  with  prayer  they  name  the  child." 
(Journal,  Vol.  II,  p.  311.)  Mr.  Wolf  asks,  "Why 
do  you  baptize  in  rivers?"  Answer,  "Because  John 
the  Baptist  baptized  in  the  River  Jordan."  The 
same  account  was  afterward  given  by  one  of  their 
bishops  or  high-priests. 

THE  SYRIAN  CHRISTIANS. 

Among  the  Syrian  Christians,  though  immersion 
is  used,  it  does  not  take  place  till  after  the  true  bap- 
tismal rite,  pouring  water  upon  the  child,  has  been 
performed.  (Watson's  Institutes,  Vol.  II,  p.  654.) 

JOHN'S  BAPTISM. 

1.  The  population    of   Palestine  at  the  time  of 
John's  ministry  was  six  millions. 

2.  It  is  said:  "There  went  out  to  him  Jerusalem 
and  all  Judea,  and   all  the   region    round  about  Jor- 
dan."    Matt,  iii,   5,  6:   "And  were  baptized  of  him 
in   Jordan,    confessing   their    sins."     St.    Mark    i,    5: 
''And  there  went  out  unto  him  all  the  land  of  Judea, 
and  they  of  Jerusalem,  and  were  all  baptized  of  him 
in  the  river  of  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins."     Luke 
iii,  21 :  "Now  when   all   the   people   were   baptized, 
it  came  to  pass  that  Jesus  also  being  baptized,  and 
praying,  the  heaven  was  opened."     To  say  the  least 
three  millions  must  have  been  baptized  by  him. 

3.  His  ministry  was  not  more  than  nine  months. 
Reference  to  Luke. 

John  was  six  months  older  than  Christ.    Luke  i,  36. 
27 


314      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Christ  was  baptized  when  he  was  thirty  years  of 
age.  Luke  iii,  21,  22,  23:  "Now  when  all  the  peo- 
ple were  baptized,  it  came  to  pass,  that  Jesus  also 
being  baptized,  and  praying,  the  heaven  was  opened, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  shape 
like  a  dove  upon  him,  and  a  voice  came  from  heaven 
which  said,  Thou  art  my  beloved  son;  in  thee  am  I 
well  pleased.  And  Jesus  himself  began  to  be  about 
thirty  years  of  age,  being  (as  was  supposed)  the  son 
of  Joseph,  which  was  the  son  of  Heli." 

John  was  imprisoned  about  three  months  after 
Christ's  baptism.  (See  Hibbard  ou  the  "Mode," 
page  21.) 

This  included  one  Winter  season,  hence  much 
loss  of  time  by  inclement  weather.  Deduct  the  Sab- 
baths included,  and  we  have  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  days;  allowing  six  hours  a  day  for  baptizing,  he 
must  have  baptized  about  two  thousand  two  hundred 
every  hour  and  thirty-six  every  minute. 

CHRIST'S  BAPTISM. 

Matt,  iii,  13,  14,  15:  "Then  cometh  Jesus  from 
Galilee  to  Jordan  unto  John,  to  be  baptized  of  him. 
But  John  forbade  him,  saying,  I  have  need  to  be 
baptized  of  thee,  and  comest  thou  to  me?  And 
Jesus  answering  said  unto  him,  Suffer  it  to  be  so 
now;  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfill  all  right- 
eousness. Then  he  suffered  him." 

Righteousness  is  conformity  to  law.  This,  then, 
supposes  this  existence  of  some  law  requiring  his 
baptism.  This  is  found  in  Ex.  xxix,  4:  "And 
Aaron  and  his  sons  thou  shalt  bring  unto  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and  shalt 


SUBJECTS  AND  MODE  OF  BAPTISM.  315 

wash  them  with  water."  The  same  in  Lev.  viii,  6, 
30:  "And  Moses  brought  Aaron  and  his  sons,  and 
washed  them  with  water.  And  Moses  took  of  the 
anointing  oil,  and  of  the  blood  which  was  upon 
the  altar,  and  sprinkled  it  upon  Aaron,  and  upon 
his  garments,  and  upon  his  sons,  and  upon  his  sons' 
garments  with  him:  and  sanctified  Aaron,  and  his 

O  ' 

garments,  and  his  sons,  and  his  sons'  garments 
with  him."  • 

Christ's  baptism  was  a  priestly  consecration. 

1.  He    was   thirty  years  of  age.     Luke   iii,  33. 
Compare  with  Num.  iv,  3:  "From  thirty  years  old 
and  upward,  even  until  fifty  years  old,  all  that  enter 
into  the  Irost,  to   do  the  work  in  the  tabernacle  of 
the  congregation." 

2.  Christ  was  a  priest  forever  after  the  order  of 
Melchizedek,  otherwise  he  could  not  have   offered  a 
sacrifice  for  us.      Heb.  ix,  14;  xxvi,  28. 

3.  As  soon  as  he  was  baptized  he  entered  upon 
his  public  ministry. 

4.  He  took  possession  of  the  temple  and  puri- 
fied   it.      Matt,  xxi,   12:   "And   Jesus  went   into   the 
temple  of  God,  and  cast  out  all  them  that  sold  and 
bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the   tables  of 
the  money-changers,  and  the  seats  of  them  that  sold 
doves."     When  the  chief-priests  and  elders  demanded 
the  authority  for  so  doing,  he  asked  them  the  ques- 
tion, "The   baptism   of  John,   whence   was   it,  from 
heaven  or  of  men?"     As  they  could  not  answer  him 
he  added,  "Neither  tell  I  you    by  what  authority  I 
do  these  things." 

God  represents  sanctification  by  sprinkling.     Eze- 
kiel  xxxvi,  25:  "Then  will   I   sprinkle   clean   water 


316      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

upon  you,  and  ye  shall  be  clean ;  from  all  your  fil- 
thiness,  and  from  all  your  idols,  will  I  cleanse  you." 
Heb.  x,  22:  "Having  your  hearts  sprinkled  from  an 
evil  conscience."  Heb.  ix,  13:  "For  if  the  blood 
of  bulls  and  of  goats  and  the  ashes  of  an  heifer 
sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of 
the  flesh."  I  Peter,  i,  2:  "Unto  obedience  and  the 
sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Jesus  Christ."  "So  shall 
he  sprinkle  many  rations. "  (Isa.  Hi,  15.) 

The  summing  up  of  the  foregoing  argument 
would  present  an  array  of  facts  not  easily  ex- 
plained away.  Persons  in  doubt  on  this  sub- 
ject can  obtain  light  in  this  chapter  on  baptism. 
It  is  the  mere  skeleton  of  Elder  Phelps's  ad- 
dresses on  this  subject.  Although  he  was 
such  an  able  defender  of  baptism  by  effusion, 
he  entertained  great  respect  for  the  Baptist 
Church,  as  one  of  the  branches  of  Christ's 
militant  body. 


CHAPTER  THIRTEENTH. 

THE    MAN    AND    HIS    METHODS. 

Personal  appearance  —  Activity — Knowledge — Memory — 
Adaptation — As  a  Singer — As  a  Speaker — An  Incident  — 
Rev.  C.  W.  Batchelor — Pastoral  Visiting — The  Preacher  and 
the  "Johnny  -  cake  " — His  Oratory  —  Sketches  of  Sermons  — 
Fragments  from  liis  Scrap-book — Old  Friendships — His  Pol- 
itics— Impressive  Manner — A  Reminiscence. 

A  SAHEL  E.  PHELPS  was  about  five  feet 
/~\  and  nine  inches  in  height,  of  nervous- 
bilious  temperament,  with  enough  sanguine  to 
make  him  hopeful  in  the  midst  of  trials.  His 
hair  was  dark,  his  forehead  was  lofty,  his 
lips  thin,  his  face  smoothly  shaven,  and  his 
countenance  expressive.  He  moved  quickly, 
spoke  rapidly  and  with  ease,  and  was  seldom 
entirely  still  unless  asleep.  He  was  one  of  the 
greatest  workers  the  West  has  produced.  He 
was  never  idle.  His  knowledge  was  all  of  a 
useful  character.  His  memory  was  wonderful. 
At  times  it  seemed  as  if  he  could  repeat  the 
whole  Bible  from  memory.  He  was  genial. 
He  had  the  faculty  of  adapting  himself  to 

31? 


318      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

every  class  of  people.  He  seemed  at  home 
anywhere.  His  voice  was  clear ;  his  tones 
were  rich  and  pure.  He  was  a  very  sweet 
singer.  In  the  family  circle  he  often  sang  the 
songs  of  Zion,  to  the  delight  of  the  hundreds 
of  famiiles  whose  homes  were  "home"  to  him 
in  " journeyings  oft."  He  was  a  pleasant 
speaker.  At  times  he  was  glowingly  eloquent. 
He  was  a  laborious  student,  and  was  remark-^ 
ably  accurate  in  all  of  his  statements.  In  the 
family  circle  he  was  easy  and  companionable. 
At  the  house  of  a  stranger,  in  the  act  of 
helping  himself  to  butter,  his  knife  went  into 
the  center  of  the  rich  yellow  ball,  when,  with 
perfect  composure,  he  said,  "That  knife  runs 
to  land  too  much;"  and  thus  diverted  attention 
from  his  -embarrassment  by  creating  a  roar  of 
laughter. 

He  enjoyed  an  innocent  joke  most  heartily, 
and  had  a  keen  sense  of  the  ridiculous.  Once 
on  his  way  to  Conference,  in  company  with 
Rev.  C.  W.  Batchelor,  there  came  up  a  heavy 
rain  shower.  The  latter  put  down  his  um- 
brella, and  urged  his  horse  into  a  gallop.  Mr. 
Phelps  was  so  amused  that  jie  could  scarcely 
sit  on  his  horse.  He  laughed  at  the  effort  of 
his  brother  minister  to  outride  the  rain,  until 
the  shower  was  over. 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  319 

He  was  a  trim,  neat,  fine  -  appearing  man. 
He  was  often  mistaken  by  strangers  for  a 
lawyer.  He  was  a  rapid  walker,  and  would 
frequently  call  at  all  the  Methodist  houses  in  a 
town  in  a  few  minutes.  Some  one  who  had 
never  seen  Elder  Phelps  inquired  of  Rev.  C. 
W.  Batchelor  as  to  his  personal  appearance, 
who  responded,  "When  you  see  a  man  walk  so 
rapidly  that  his  coat-tail  will  stick  out  straight 
behind  him,  you  will  see  A.  E.  Phelps." 

He  once  had  under  his  charge  a  preacher 
who  was  very  careful  about  his  diet,  so  very 
particular  that  the  people  found  fault  with  him, 
and  the  matter  came  to  the  ears  of  his  pre- 
siding elder,  who,  in  the  presence  of  several 
preachers,  remarked  that  this  brother  was  a 
great  lover  of  "Johnny-cake."  Of  course  he 
quickly  denied  it.  Mr.  Phelps  proposed  that 
his  satchel  be  searched.  The  preacher  agreed 
to  this  with  hearty  good  will.  The  search  was 
made,  and  the  "Johnny-cake"  was  handed 
out,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the  brethren 
present.  The  minister  upon  whom  the  joke 
was  played  positively  despised  bread  made 
from  Indian  corn.  This  is  now  a  luxury ; 
then  it  was  a  necessity,  and  was  much  dis- 
liked by  some.  Thus  the  good  man  was 
taught  the  lesson  to  "eat  what  is  set  before 


320      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

him,  asking  no  questions"  on  account  of  his 
peculiar  tastes. 

He  was  a  man  of  one  work.  He  gave  his 
whole  life  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He 
prepared  his  sermons  with  much  care,  and  de- 
livered them  without  manuscript  or  notes.  He 
did  not  commit  his  sermons  to  memory,  but 
made  himself  thoroughly  master  of  his  sub- 
ject, and  in  the  presentation  of  it  his  thoughts 
and  words  flowed  as  from  a  deep  and  pure 
fountain.  He  was  a  logician  and  an  orator. 
He  could  lecture,  preach,  debate,  exhort,  or 
conduct  a  revival  meeting  with  equal  success. 
In  debate  he  rarely  met  his  equal,  and  never 
his  superior.  He  held  numerous  discussions, 
some  of  which  have  not  even  been  named,  and 
in  every  case  the  Church  was  honored  by  his 
able  defense  of  her  doctrines.  His  best  ser- 
mons, probably,  were  destroyed  by  an  accident 
that  so  disfigured  many  of  them  that  he  com- 
mitted them  to  the  flames.  Neither  manu- 
script nor  notes  of  his  most  powerful  sermons 
are  extant.  It  was  no  uncommon  thing  for  an 
audience  to  become  bewildered  with  excite- 
ment under  his  preaching  and  exhortations. 
Sometimes  they  would  rise  up  and  crowd  close 
to  the  pulpit.  He  preached  a  sermon  in  Wy- 
oming, on  the  destruction  of  the  world  by  fire, 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  321 

that  was  positively  startling.*  At  Kickapoo, 
111.,  on  the  Judgment,  he  brought  a  lady  to 
her  feet  several  times. f 

The  reader  will  be  glad  to  look  at  a  few 
"outlines"  of  plain  sermons,  prepared  near 
the  conclusion  of  his  ministry.  These  brief 
sketches,  taken  from  a  small  "scrap-book" 
exactly  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  found, 
are  models  of  simplicity  and  compactness : 

"What  could  have  been  done  more  to  my  vineyard,  that 
I  have  not  done  in  it  ?" — ISAIAH  v,  4. 

The  vine  grew  in  luxuriance  in  Palestine.  Num- 
bers xiii,  23;  Genesis  xlix,  n,  12.  Climate  and 
soil  congenial  to  its  growth.  Vineyards  abounded  in 
the  land.  Hence  the  frequent  use  of  this  figure. 

First,  it  is  in  the  text  applied  to  the  Jewish  na- 
tion :  planted  in  a  goodly  land,  they  shared  the 
blessings  of  Providence  and  special  protection  of 
Heaven.  He  gave  them  laws,  priests,  and  prophets 
to  instruct  them. 

Second.  Applicable  to  our  nation.  We  are 
blessed  with  great  natural  advantages  —  productive 
soil,  commercial  facilities,  and  mineral  resources.  A 
land  of  plenty  and  luxury ;  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty; peace  and  quietness.  Famine  prevails  in  other 
countries;  luxuries  abound  here. 

We  are  blessed  with  all  the  means  of  grace.  It 
is  a  land  of  Bibles;  blessed  with  an  efficient  ministry, 


*  General  Thomas  to  the  author, 
f  Mr.  Thomas  Beall  to  the  author. 


322      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

and  with  the  sacraments  and  ordinances  in  their 
purity.  The  means  provided  for  our  salvation  are 
ample,  and  men  are  left  without  excuse. 

PSALM  CXXXIX,  1-4. 

This  text  presents  to  our  consideration  the  om- 
niscience of 'God,  sustained  by  the  following:  Job 
xxviii,  10,  24;  Acts  xv,  18;  Hebrews  iv,  13;  i  John 
iii,  20;  Job  xxxvii,  16;  Psalm  cxlvii,  5;  Proverbs 
xv,  3.  Thus  we  have  learned  that  every  thing  in 
the  vast  universe  of  being — from  the  smallest  ani- 
malcule that  floats  on  the  bosom  of  the  breeze,  un- 
perceived  by  the  ken  of  mortals,  up  to  the  tallest 
seraph  that  bows  before  the  divine  throne,  is  at  once 
under  the  all -penetrating  eye  of  Jehovah.  His 
knowledge  extends  not  merely  to  the  past  and  pres- 
ent, but  throughout  all  future  duration. 

ACTS  XV,   18;  ISAIAH  XLVI,  9,  10. 

All  prophecy  proves  the  perfect  prescience  of  God. 

But  God's  prescience  does  not  interfere  in  the 
least  with  the  liberty  of  human  actions.  Knowledge, 
simply  considered,  possesses  no  creative,  effective,  or 
productive  power,  no  constraining  influence.  It  may 
direct  an  action  to  an  end,  but  can  not  produce  an 
action,  or  destroy  the  moral  liberty  of  one. 

That  God's  prescience  does  not  affect  the  freedom 
of  the  human  will,  or  abridge  man's  moral  liberty,  is 
evident  from  the  following  considerations : 

1.  All  men  are  conscious  of  moral  liberty. 

2.  If  man  is  not  free  in  his  volitions  and  actions, 
he   is  not  a  proper  subject  of  moral  government, — 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  323 

God  has  mistaken  man's   nature   in  imposing  upon 
him  such  a  government. 

3.  The  precepts,   promises,  threatenings,  of  the 
Scriptures  are,  therefore,  a  mere  hoax. 

4.  If  man   moves  merely  as  he  is  moved  upon, 
God's  written  Word  and  his  purposes  are  at  war, — 
he  forbids  in  his  Word  what  lie  compels  them  to  do 
by  his  decrees. 

5.  If  man    possesses    no    such    liberty   he    is  not 
accountable — neither  rewardable  nor  punishable. 

6.  All   human   governments  are  based   upon  the 
assumption  that  men  are   free  in  their  volitions  and 
actions;  otherwise  they  would  never  punish  crime. 

7.  If  man   is  not  free  God  is  the  author  of  sin, 
the  only  efficient  agent  in  the  universe. 

PURE  RELIGION.     JAMES  i,  27. 

Religion  is  twofold,  experimental  and  practical. 
The  one  is  what  we  experience;  the  other,  what  we 
practice.  The  former  is  the  religion  of  the  heart ; 
the  latter,  that  of  the  life.  Experimental  religion 
is  a  work  of  grace  in  the  heart,  renewing  it,  sancti- 
fying it,  bringing  it  into  communion  with  God,  and 
securing  the  peace  of  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

It  is  the  second  branch  of  religion  that  our  apos- 
tle is  describing  in  the  text;  namely,  practical.  This 
he  presents,  both  in  its  positive  and  negative  aspects. 
The  first  consists  in  works  of  mercy;  the  second,  in 
purity  of  life. 

The  latter  is,  freedom  from  all  the  sinful  and 
vicious  practices  of  the  world.  He  keeps  himself 
unspotted  from  the  world.  His  intercourse  with  the 


324      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

world  neither  affects  his  habits  nor  his  spirit.  He 
has  no  fellowship  with  the  unfruitful  works  of  dark- 
ness. His  light  shines  wherever  he  moves. 

He  abounds  in  works  of  mercy.  The  fatherless 
and  widows  are  mentioned  as  two  cases  Out  of  many. 
They  stand  here  as  representatives  of  all  objects  of 
distress  and  charity  of  every  kind.  Christianity  is 
both  active  and  benevolent  in  its  spirit.  Nothing 
selfish.  "She  seeks  not  her  own;"  but  breathes 
good  will  to  all  men,  and  goes  forth  as  an  angel  of 
mercy  into  the  haunts  of  poverty  and  human  wretch- 
edness and  degradation,  and  proffers  relief. 

"  Whom   we  preach,  warning  every  man,'1  etc. — COLOS- 

SIANS   I,    28. 

I.  The  subject  of  preaching. 

II.  The    manner    of    preaching :    warning    every 
man,  and  teaching. 

III.  The  end  of  preaching:    "to    present   every 
man  perfect  in  Christ  Jesus." 

I  CORINTHIANS  I,  23;   II,  2. 

I.  The  great  burden  of  pulpit  instruction  is 
Christ,  —  Christ,  in  his  character,  perfections,  and 
different  relations  to  us.  He  is  the  only  object  of 
faith  ;  his  merits  the  only  ground  of  our  acceptance 
with  God,  our  only  trust  for  salvation.  Acts  iv,  12. 
The  only  foundation  of  our  hopes.  I  Corinthians 
iii,  II.  Christ  was  the  great  subject  of  prophecy  in 
the  Old  Testament.  His  advent,  sufferings,  and 
death  lighted  up  the  prophetic  fire  in  the  bosom  of 
holy  men,  and  attuned  the  harp  of  the  sacred  psalm- 
ist to  the  most  sublime  strains  that  earth  ever  heard. 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  325 

All  religious  truth,  all  saving  grace,  originates  in 
him,  and  all  of  Heaven's  mercy  that  ever  reached  our 
world  since  the  fall  of  man  flows  through  him.  He 
should  be  preached  in  all  liis  offices  as  Prophet, 
Priest,  and  King,  and  in  all  his  claims  upon  us. 

IT.  The  manner — "warning."  First.  This  im- 
plies clanger.  All  have  sinned  and  therefore  all  in 
danger,  till  they  fly  to  Christ  for  refuge.  It  is  the 
business  of  the  ministers  to  make  them  acquainted 
with  this  danger.  "The  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die." 
"The  wages  of  sin  is  death."  Sin  when  finished 
bringeth  forth  death.  The  sentence  already  passed 
upon  the  sinner,  "Condemned  already."  "Wrath 
of  God  abideth  on  him."  Second.  Warned  against 
all  sin.  Isa.  Iviii,  I.  Third.  Sin  in  believers. 

III.  "Teaching   every   man."     All    must.be   in- 
structed :   First,  in  the  doctrines  of  Christ.      (l  Tim. 
iv,    1 6.)     Secondly,    in    their   duties.      Thirdly,   their 
privileges. 

IV.  Lastly,  the  object  of  preaching.     To  present 
every    man    perfect    in    Christ.      Stupendous   object. 
Men  are  guilty  ;  the  Gospel  provides  pardon.     They 
are  corrupt;  it  presents  a  "fountain  for  sin  and  un- 
cleanness. "     They  are  polluted;  it  sanctifies.     They 
are  degraded  and  ruined  by  sin  ;  it  saves  and  elevates 
to   heaven.     The  great  object  of  the  Savior's  death 
is   the   moral   purity  of  his   people.      (Titus  ii,    14.) 
The  same  by  the  institution  of  the  Gospel. 

He  made  extensive  notes  on  current  events. 
The  following  quotations  from  his  scrap-book, 
written  by  his  own  hand,  may  suggest  to  those 
who  wonder  at  his  great  fertility,  the  source 


326     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

of  this    strength.     He   took   especial  pains  to 
"  gatJier  up  the  fragments" 

WAR. 

Expenses  of  the  navy  of  the  United  States  per 
annum,  $7,000,000 — about  $20,000  per  day. 

British  navy,  $33,000,000  per  annum.  French 
navy,  above  $12,000,000.  Costs  of  our  navy  are 
more  than  all  the  profits  of  our  commerce  it  is 
designed  to  protect.  (Western  Christian  Advocate, 
No.  35,  Vol.  XII.) 

Appropriation  to  the  British  navy  for  the  current 
year  (1845)  is  $33.620,200. 

The  war  debt  of  European  nations  amounts  to 
$10,000,000,000,  or  ten  billions.  It  would  require 
the  labor  of  4,000,000  of  men,  at  $150  per  annum, 
to  pay  the  interest  at  six  per  cent,  and  $10  of  each 
individual  on  the  globe  to  pay  the  principal. 

There  have  been  14,000,000,000  of  men  slain  in 
war  on  earth.  (Christian  Advocate  and  Journal,  Vol. 
XX,  No.  28,  page  in.) 

CRUSADES, 

Continuing  260  years,  sacrificed  the  lives  of 
2,000,000  of  men,  besides  women  and  children. 

WAR  DEPARTMENT. 

From  the  adoption  of  the  Federal  Constitution 
down  to  1848  there  have  been  paid  directly  from  the 
National  Treasury  of  the  United  States  for  the  army 
and  fortifications  $366,913,209;  for  the  navy  and  its 
operations,  $209,994,428 — total,  $576,707,637.  For 
the  militia  during  the  same  time,  $1,500,000,000. 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  327 

Making  a  total  of  $2,076,707,637.      (Western  Chris- 
tian Advocate,  No.  52,  Vol.  16.     Whole  No.  818.) 

ROMANISM. 

The  Roman  Inquisition  was  first  established  in 
the  twelfth  century.  Was  introduced  into  Seville,  in 
Spain,  in  1481,  and  between  1481  and  1808,  accord- 
ing to  the  historian  Llorente,  who  had  access  to 
all  the  records  of  the  Inquisition  in  his  official  char- 
acter as  secretary,  the  number  of  victims  in  Spain 
amounted  to  341,021,  of  whom  37,912  were  burned. 
The  Inquisition  of  Spain  cost  that  country  at  least 
2,000,000  of  lives.  Saint  Bartholomew's  massacre 
cost  France  100,000  of  her  best  citizens. 

EARTHQUAKES. 

Sixty-one  earthquakes  have  occurred  on  the  coast 
of  Chili.  Three  at  Lisbon,  capital  of  Portugal,  in 
1755,  shook  all  the  seas*  of  Europe,  the  north  of 
Africa,  the  West  Indies,  and  even  Lake  Ontario.  It 
lasted  but  six  seconds,  and  destroyed  30,000  lives  in 
Lisbon.  In  1796  three-quarters  of  the  city  of  Lima 
and  120,000  of  its  inhabitants  were  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake.  In  1822  most  of  was  de- 
stroyed and  30,000  of  its  inhabitants. 

NAPOLEON. 

Napoleon  one  day  visited  a  hospital  he  had 
founded  for  the  maintenance  of  the  daughters  of  those 
officers  who  had  fallen  in  battle.  The  poor  orphans 
crowded  around  him  and  thanked  him  for  his  kind- 
ness to  them.  He  was  so  much  affected  that  he 
burst  into  tears  and  exclaimed,  "This  is  the  happiest 
moment  of  my  life." 


328     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Here  is  an  important  scrap  clipped  from  a 
Christian  paper : 

BLOODY  SWEAT. 

"The  bloody  sweat  spoken  of  in  the  last  suffer- 
ing of  our  Savior  has  been  a  subject  of  doubt  to 
some  ;  but  a  correspondent  of  the  Boston  Recorder, 
in  commenting  upon  that  passage  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, where  it  is  said  of  our  Savior,  that  '  he  sweat, 
as  it  were,  great  drops  of  blood,  falling  down  to  the 
ground,'  gives  the  following  instance  from  history, 
of  a  similar  effect  produced  by  excessive  anguish 
or  fear : 

"  Mezeray,  the  historian,  thus  describes  the  death 
of  Charles  IX,  of  France:  '  Nature  exhibited  .strange 
freaks  during  the  last  two  weeks  of  this  mon- 
arch's existence.  From  inward  excitement  of  mind 
or  soul,  his  body  was  frightfully  agitated  ;  so  much 
so,  that  the  blood  gushed  from  the  pores  of  his  flesh. 
At  last,  in  the  extreme  weakness  occasioned  by  these 
agitations,  he  yielded  his  soul.'  He  also  relates  that 
a  governor  of  a  town,  being  sentenced  to  death,  on 
beholding,  for  the  first  time,  the  gallows,  experienced 
great  agitation,  that  produced  a  profuse  sweating  of 
blood. 

"Lombard  mentions  a  general  who  experienced 
the  same  from  losing  a  battle.  He  also  tells  of  a 
nun,  the  most  beautiful  of  the  age,  whose  terror  was 
so  great,  on  falling  into  the  power  of  a  banditti,  that 
it  caused  the  blood  to  ooze  from  every  pore. 

"A  lecture  delivered  to  the  Society  of  Arts  at 
Harlaam,  in  Europe,  speaks  of  a  person  being  pros- 
trated on  the  deck  of  a  ship  by  a  storm,  who,  when 
raised,  was  found  streaming  with  blood  from  the  sur- 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  329 

face.  He  was  not  wounded,  but  the  phenomenon 
was  occasioned  by  excitement  of  mind.  In  the 
same  lecture,  a  widow  was  mentioned,  who  fancied 
she  saw  the  apparition  of  her  son  supplicating  her 
to  release  his  soul  from  purgatory,  by  praying  every 
Friday.  On  the  ensuing  Friday,  while  under  ex- 
treme excitation  of  mind,  a  bloody  perspiration  cov- 
ered her  body.  The  same  occurred  eveiy  Friday, 
until  she  thought  her  task  accomplished,  after  which 
her  mind  returned  to  i-ts  usual  state,  and  the  bloody 
sweat  ceased." 

He  was  an  incessant  student.  He  aimed 
to  so  store  his  knowledge  that  it  could  be 
made  available.  When  presiding  elder  on  the 
Peoria  District,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  J.  W. 
Agard,  he  arose  early  in  the  morning  and 
built  his  own  fire,  and  went  to  work  at  his 
books.  This  was  his  common  practice. 

He  made  many  very  warm  friends.  His 
sayings  were  stored  away  in  the  memory 
of  ardent  admirers.  An  illiterate,  but  de- 
voted old  Christian,  many  years  ago,  told  the 
writer  that  "Elder  Phelps  once  said  in  private 
conversation,  that  'some  people  tempt  the 
devil  to  tempt  them.' '  One  will  tell  you  when 
they  last  saw  him ;  another,  how  he  defended 
the  cause  of  Christianity  in  a  certain  commu- 
nity ;  another  remembers  how  grandly  he  sang 
the  "OLD-FASHIONED  BIBLE ;"  and  many  that 

28 


33O     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

"I  was  baptized  by  him"  at  such  a  meeting. 
An  indication  of  this  esteem  is  manifested  by 
the  following 

ACROSTIC : 

Regarded  by  the  eternal  Prince  of  Heaven, 

Endued  with  power  to  preach  a  Savior  given, 

Vast  is  the  torrent  which  before  thee  glows, 

And  vast  the  source  from  whence  that  torrent  flows. 

Spacious  the  field,  important  fs  the  call, 

And  grace  is  free  to  promulgate  to  all; 

Heaven  owns  thee,  and  will  compensate  thy  pain, — 

Enforce  the  truth  to  man — A  Savior  slain. 

Lo,  some  have  fallen!  be  not  thou  dismayed, 

Exquisite  strength  before  thee  is  displayed. 

Promote  his  glory,  satan's  darts  repel; 

He  will  His  cause  defend,  thy  foes  he  '11  quell, 

Enlarge  thy  sphere  the  sacred  rank  to  fill. 

Loud  from  on  high  the  call,  obey  His  will, 

Persuade  the  thoughtless,  reprimand  in  love, — 

Stars  shall  thy  crown  adorn,  in  heaven  above. 

He  was  not  a  politician,  yet  he  felt  it  to  be 
his  solemn  duty  to  vote  at  all  elections.  On 
one  occasion  he  drove  a  long  distance  in  order 
to  cast  his  vote ;  on  reaching  home  he  tied 
the  lines  to  the  fence,  and  reached  the  hall  just 
in  time  to  cast  his  vote  for  General  Scott. 

His  manner  was  very  impressive.  He  was 
deeply  pious.  Away  in  Mercer  County,  at  my 
own  boyhood  home,  on  one  bleak  Winter  day, 
a  gentleman  was  ushered  into  our  humble 
dwelling  by  my  father.  After  an  introduction 


TRAITS  AND  CHARACTERISTICS.  331 

he  hastily  threw  off  his  overcoat,  and  delib- 
erately walked  to  a  corner  of  the  room  and 
knelt  down  in  prayer.  He  lingered  a  few 
minutes,  and  arose  with  quiet  dignity  and 
seated  himself  before  the  brightly  burning  fire, 
grace  seemed  to  illuminate  his  countenance  and 
"wait  upon"  every  gesture  and  word.  Who 
is  he?  There  was  something  very  remarka- 
ble, attractive,  exhilarating,  and  captivating 
about  him,  that  so  completely  charmed  my 
youthful  heart,  that  I  sat  in  quiet  wonder,  and 
looked  at  him.  I  knew  not  a  syllable  of 
his  greatness  or  goodness,  I  had  heard  him 
preach,  probably,  when  I  was  a  babe  in  my 
mother's  arms,  but  I  felt  that  we  were  in  the 
presence  of  more  than  an  ordinary  Methodist 
preacher.  Not  unfrequently  did  the  pioneer 
preachers  of  those  days  bless  our  humble  home 
with  their  welcome  visits ;  but  here  was  a 
stranger  who  seemed  good,  great,  gentle, 
sweet.  I  loved  him.  The  repast  was  soon 
ready  and  over,  the  prayer  offered,  and  bless- 
ing pronounced  upon  the  family,  and  he  had 
gone.  This  was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  him. 
He  was  then  on  his  way  from  some  point  on 
the  Mississippi  River  to  the  eastern  portion 
of  the  Rock  Island  District.  On  that  day  he 
lost  his  road,  and  went  some  miles  out  of  the 


332      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

way  and  tarried  at ,  with  a  stranger 

to  him,  who  likewise  was  completely  capti- 
vated. It  was  a  privilege  accorded  to  many 
Christian  families  in  different  parts  of  Illinois 
to  entertain  this  man  of  God,  and  to  treasure 
up  some  of  his  words  of  wisdom,  and  his  fa- 
vorite song,  "The  Old-fashioned  Bible,"  thus 
became  an  especial  favorite  in  Central  Illinois. 
He  preached  a  sermon  on  "  Walk  About 
Zion,"  at  Toulon,  that  almost  bewildered  the 
people  with  excitement.  A  brother  who  heard 
it,  never  hears  the  text  read  or  sees  it  but  that 
sermon  comes  right  up  before  him,  just  as  it 
was  delivered  on  that  occasion.  It  was  the 
greatest  sermon  he  ever  heard  from  the  lips 
of  man.* 


*  Brother  Tapp,  to  the  author,  May,  1878. 


CHAPTER  FOURTEENTH. 

HIS  LAST   ANNUAL    CONFERENCE. 

Victoria  Gimp-meeting — A  Scotch  Presbyterian — Confer- 
ence at  St.  Charles — Bishop  Ames — The  Three  Illinois  Confer- 
ences— Wisconsin  Conference — Four  Indiana  Conferences — • 
Former  Co-laborers  —  His  own  Conference — J.  Sinclair  — 
Henry  Summers — John  Chandler — S.  R.  Beggs — H.  Crews — 
Z.  Hall — M.  Bourn — J.  Morey — J.  L.  Kirkpatrick — William 
Haney — Ora  Walker — R.  Haney — J.  Luccock — Luke  Hitch- 
cock— Personal  Mention — Close  of  the  Conference — Details  of 
his  Quarterly-meetings — Letter  from  Dr.  Golliday — Letter  to  J. 
Mprey — Debate  on  Baptism — Elder  Ketchum. 

"  We  see  but  dimly  through  the  mist  and  vapors, 

Amid  these  earthly  damps; 
What  seem  to  us  but  sad  funereal  tapers, 
May  be  heaven's  distant  lamps." 

"  There  is  a  reaper  whose  name  is  Death, 

And,  with  his  sickle  keen, 
He  reaps  the  bearded  grain  at  a  breath, 
And  the  flowers  that  grow  between." 

H.  W.  LONGFELLOW. 

THE  remainder  of  this  Conference  year  his 
time  was  all  occupied.  He  held  several 
grove-meetings  and  attended  a  number  of 
camp-meetings.  At  the  Victoria  Camp-meet- 
ing he  preached  from  Ezek.  xvii,  1-9.  It  was 
a  wonderful  sermon.  The  vast  audience  there 
seemed  to  be  breathless  with  attention.  Many 

333 


334      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

crowded  up  to  the  front,  and  stood  as  if 
entranced.  A  Scotch  Presbyterian  declared 
that  it  was  the  greatest  sermon  he  had  ever 
heard  in  any  Church  or  country. 

Conference  met  at  St.  Charles,  Kane  County, 
Illinois.  Bishop  E.  R.  Ames  was  the  presiding 
officer.  S.  F.  Denning  was  secretary.  H.  F. 
Martin,  S.  G.  Havermale,  C.  M.  Wright,  and 
ten  others  were  received  on  trial.  Thirteen 
were  ordained  deacons,  and  nine  were  ordained 
elders.  There  had  been  an  increase  of  two 
thousand  and  twenty-four.  This  Conference 
was  peculiarly  interesting  to  Mr.  Phelps. 
Bishop  Ames  had  come  for  the  first  time 
to  preside  over  Rock  River  Conference.  It 
was  gratifying  to  meet  his  old  friend  in  this 
relation  to  the  Church  so  soon  after  his  eleva- 
tion the  Episcopacy.  This  was  the  last  session 
of  the  Rock  River  Conference  that  Elder 
Phelps  would  attend. 

There  were  now  three  conferences  in  the 
State,  with  a  total  membership  of  56,213  mem- 
bers and  probationers.  Iowa  Conference  was 
once  included.  Now  it  had  a  membership  of 
13,819.  Wisconsin  Conference  had  a  total  of 
10,810.  The  four  Indiana  conferences,  includ- 
ing probationers  now  numbered  73,840.  Mak- 
ing a  grand  total  of  153,986  members  and 


His  LAST  ANNUAL  CONFERENCE.  335 

probations  in  what  was  the  bounds  of  the  old 
Illinois  Conference.  What  a  wonderful  change 
had  taken  place  since  1828,  when  the  subject 
of  this  volume  received  his  first  appointment 
at  the  hands  of  a  bishop.  In  Illinois  Confer- 
ence Peter  Cartwright,  Hadin  Wallace,  J.  S. 
Barger,  Peter  Akers.  W.  J.  Rutledge,  and  a 
few  others  were  still  at  their  posts,  pushing  the 
battle.  In  Southern  Illinois  Conference  there 
were  John  Van  Cleve,  J.  B.  Corrington,  J.  A. 
Scarritt,  W.  L.  Deneen,  and  a  few  others  with 
whom  he  was  formerly  associated.  In  the 
North-west  Indiana  Conference  were  Richard 
Hargrave,  J.  L.  Thompson,  and  Aaron  Wood. 
In  the  South-eastern  Indiana  Conference  Jo- 
seph Tarkington,  Calvin  Ruter,  and  Enoch  G. 
Wood  still  lingered.  Largely  these  Confer- 
ences were  composed  of  strangers  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  old  Illinois  Conference.  L.  B. 
Dennis  was  in  Missouri,  T.  M.  Kirkpatrick 
was  in  Iowa,  Chauncey  Hobart,  Boyd  Phelps, 
W.  G.  Miller,  and  I.  M.  Leihy  were  in  the  Wis- 
consin Conference. 

At  this  conference  J.  Sinclair  was  reap- 
pointed  to  the  Chicago  District.  He  was  a 
good  old  man.  Whilst  Presiding  Elder  on  the 
Rock  Island  District,  he  was  requested  to  bap- 
tize a  lady  friend  by  immersion.  He  agreed  to 


336      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

do  so  early  in  the  morning.  In  the  presence 
of  a  few  friends,  he  duly  performed  the  solemn 
ceremony  in  the  Mississippi  River,  near  Hamp- 
ton. Subsequently,  whilst  passing,  he  called 
out  to  her  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "Now, 
sister,  you  can  go  and  join  the  Mormons," 
and  then  engaged  in  a  good  hearty  laugh  at 
her  expense. 

There  was  Henry  Summers,  grave,  digni- 
fied, solid,  his  physical  the  exact  representa- 
tion of  the  whole  man.  In  the  pulpit  he  was 
practical  and  pointed,  and  when  the  emphatic 
point  was  made  by  the  index  finger  it  seemed 
to  be  clinched  and  forever  riveted  upon  the 
heart  of  the  listener.  Once,  when  through  the 
stringency  of  money  interests,  and  the  neglect 
of  the  stewards,  his  wants  became  pressing,  he 
preached  a  rousing  sermon  on  "  Brick  without 
straw."  On  one  occasion,  on  going  to  his  ap- 
pointment, he  found  but  one  man  and  seven 
women  present,  whereupon  he  preached  from 
"Seven  women  shall  lay  hold  of  one  man,  and 
shall  say,  We  will  eat  our  own  bread  and  wear 
our  own  apparel ;  only  let  us  be  called  by  thy 
name."  This  sermon  was  never  forgotten. 
His  style  was  his  own  and  could  not  be  imitated. 
He  always  carried  weight  in  his  utterances  in 
the  pulpit  and  on  the  Conference  floor.  Thou- 


His  LAST  ANNUAL  CONFERENCE.  337 

sands  in  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Wisconsin  will  bless 
his  name  in  coming  time. 

Here  was  John  Chandler,  one  of  nature's 
noblemen.  He  was  a  historian,  an  inveterate 
reader  and  worker,  an  earnest  advocate  of 
entire  sanctification,  and  the  peculiar  tenets 
and  practices  -of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  When  Bishop  Simpson  was  a  fair- 
haired  boy,  he  frequently  took  the  bridle  from 
the  hands  of  father  Chandler  at  his  own  boy- 
hood home,  and  lead  his  horse  to  the  barn, 
after  receiving  the  dear  man's  kindly  greeting, 
words  of  good  cheer,  and  blessing.  He  could 
not  endure  stingy  Methodists  nor  lazy  preach- 
ers. In  illustrating  a  sermon  he  once  said, 
"The  laziest  man  that  I  ever  heard  of  would 
take  his  chair  in  the  Summer  days,  and  sit 
down  at  the  south-west  corner  of  the  house  in 
which  he  lived  and  moved  little  by  little  by  the 
north  until  he  finally  ended  the  day  at-  the 
south-east  corner.  He  deplored  the  want  of 
interest  on  the  part  of  many  Methodists  in  the 
subject  of  holiness.  He  affirmed  that  formerly 
it  was  expected  that  probationers  would  ob- 
tain this  experience  within  six  months  after 
conversion. 

Here    was    Stephen    R.    Beggs,    who    had 

broken  up  new  territory  in  all  parts  of  Illinois. 

29 


338      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

His  sketch  of  early  Methodism  will  aid  to  res- 
cue from  obscurity  the  names  of  many  Meth- 
odist .  ministers  whose  record  is  on  high. 
Hooper  Crews  was  here.  Large,  stately,  and 
possessing  the  voice  of  a  Boanerges.  A  man 
whose  presence  was  a  sermon  and  whose  word 
was  law.  Such  a  man  was  an  honor  to  the 
Rock  River  Conference. 

Zadock  Hall  was  there  also — quiet,  firm, 
cautious.  It  had  been  his  lot  to  make  new 
charges,  and  "bark"  his  way  as  he  went.  Mil- 
ton Bourn  was  there ;  and  his  presence  was  a 
benediction.  William  C.  Cummings,  too,  was 
there — quiet,  sweet,  hopeful,  cheerful,  a  real 
pioneer.  John  Morey  was  there — a  philosopher, 
logician,  and  orator.  His  sermons  on  Univer- 
salism,  Mormonism,  Adventism,  the  Atonement 
and  Resurrection,  can  never  be  forgotten  by 
those  who  heard  them.  J.  L.  Kirkpatrick,  who 
lived  in  the  atmosphere  of  love,  was  there. 
And  Wm.  Haney,  whose  face  was  ever  sunny 
with  smiles  or  dewy  with  teardrops ;  and  Ora 
A.  Walker,  whose  name  was  a  synonym  for 
goodness. 

There  was  Richard  Haney,  then  in  his 
prime — large,  robust,  with  a  face  glowing  like 
the  full  moon,  ready  to  laugh  or  cry  or  make 
a  .speech  as  occasion  might  require.  Many 


His  LAST  CONFERENCE.  339 

amusing  incidents  are  told  of  him.  Preaching 
once  at  Monmouth,  in  describing  the  enslaved 
condition  of  the  backslider,  he  said,  "  I  'd  be  a 
lion,  and  shake  my  shaggy  mane."  At  a 
camp-meeting  near  Knoxville  he  found  a  young 
man  violating  the  rules  of  the  meeting ;  he 
seized  him,  and  carried  him  to  the  rear  of  the 
seats,  and  brought  him  down  with  a  little  more 
force  than  was  agreeable  to  the  youth's  com- 
fort, and  said,  "  My  son,  do  you  know  that 
your  father  had  hold  of  you  to-night?"  Rich- 
ard Haney  was  a  man  who  would  have  been 
great  in  any  age  or  country.  His  father  was 
a  prince  in  Israel,  and  trained  four  sons  for 
the  minstry.  During  Richard's  school  -  boy 
days  he  was  sent  by  the  principal  of  the  school 
to  fill  an  appointment.  Having  concealed  his 
position  as  a  licentiate  from  his  fellow-students, 
and  also  being  somewhat  mischievous,  he  ex- 
pected to  go  to  the  appointment  very  secretly ; 
but,  to  his  surprise  and  mortification,  he  was 
overtaken  by  several  loads  of  students,  who 
cheered  him,  and,  passing  on,  confronted  him 
as  he  arose  to  preach  from  a  text  in  Job. 
Young  Haney  read  his  text,  and  began : 
"Job — I  say,  Job — I  say,  Job'' — then  paused, 
and  exclaimed,  with  much  solemnity,  "  Friends, 
I  believe  I  am  about  to  have  an  attack  of  the 


34°      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

bilious  fever,"  and  sat  down.  He  became  an 
orator ;  and  the  Methodists  of  those  days  never 
weary  of  relating  camp-meeting  incidents  con- 
nected with  Richard  Haney. 

Here  was  John  Luccock,  a  champion  de- 
bater, a  terror  to  Universalists  and  immersion- 
ists,  and  a  master  of  logic.  Here  also  was 
Absalom  Wooliscroft,  the  revivalist  and  singer, 
whose  memory  is  embalmed  in"  many  hearts, 
and  who  should  meet  his  brethren  of  Rock 
River  Conference  no  more.  Here  was  Luke 
Hitchcock,  who  needs  no  description,  since  his 
position  as  a  General  Conference  officer  has 
made  Methodists  throughout  Christendom  fa- 
miliar with  his  name  and  success. 

Many  noble  young  men  were  there,  who 
saw  the  face  of  A.  E.  Phelps  for  the  last  time 
in  Conference.  There  were  Flowers,  Gid- 
dings,  Baum,  Swartz,  Brooks,  Ritchie,  Lovesee, 
Rhodes,  Bolles,  Heath,  Jewett,  Stover,  Stuff, 
Applebee,  M'Kaig,  Best,  Keyes,  Ransom,  Mul- 
finger,  Fields,  Martin,  Falkenbury,  Stoughton, 
Miller.  There  were  Denning,  Fidler,  Devore, 
and  Roswell  N.  Morse,  J.  F.  Chaffee,  Henry 
Whitehead,  S.  Pillsbury,  Abbot  Goddard,  G. 
G.  Worthington,  Philo  Judson,  S.  P.  Burr,  F. 
Smith,  W.  J.  Smith,  J.  W.  Agard,  R.  H. 
Moffett,  S.  H.  Stocking,  J.  J.  Hedstrom,  Bar- 


His  LAST  CONFERENCE.  341 

ton  H.  Cartwright,  John  Grundy,  C.  W.  Batch- 
elor,  Charles  French,  and  others,  who  would 
never  hear  him  answer  at  another  "  roll-call  " 
of  Rock  River  Conference  on  earth. 

He  was  called  upon  to  conduct  the  closing 
exercises  of  the  Conference.  He  announced 
the  hymn : 

"  And  let  our  bodies  part, 
To  different  climes  repair;" 

which  was  sung  with  solemn  tones,  indicating 
that  the  time  of  separation  had  come.  His 
prayer  was  appropriate  and  comprehensive. 
He  prayed  especially  for  that  one  who  would 
never  answer  again  on  earth  to  the  Rock  River 
Conference  roll-call. 

He  entered  upon  the  work  of  his  district 
with  vigor.  He  preached  at  Princeton,  on 
September  26th \  from  Matthew,  fifth  chapter, 
twentieth  verse,  and  again,  October  2d  and  3d, 
from  First  Corinthians,  third  chapter,  twenty- 
first  and  twenty-second  verses,  and  the  first 
Psalm.  He  spent  October  gth  and  loth  at 
Prophetstown,  and  preached  four  times.  On 
the  i6th  and  lyth,  he  preached  four  times  at 
Union  Grove.  He  spent  the  23d  and  24th  at 
Moline  Quarterly-meeting.  The  3oth  and  3ist 
he  spent  with  his  dear  friend,  John  Morey,  at 
Rock  Island.  November  5th  and  6th  he  was 


342      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

at  Camden,  and  preached  four  times.  Novem- 
ber 1 3th  and  i4th  he  spent  at  New  Boston. 
On  the  2ist  and  22d  he  was  at  Wethersfield, 
and  preached  on  the  Sabbath  a  most  powerful 
sermon.  On  the  clause,  "All  are  yours,"  he 
dwelt  with  great  pathos,  until  the  audience 
were  bathed  in  tears.  November  27th  and  28th 
he  spent  with  his  old  friends  at  Lafayette,  and 
preached  with  much  liberty  and  feeling.  He 
stated  to  several  friends  that  he  believed  he 
would  soon  be  called  away  to  his  home  on 
high.  On  December  4th  and  5th  he  held  a 
quarterly-meeting  at  Henry,  and  preached  on 
the  Martyrdom  of  Stephen,  the  Prodigal  Son, 
the  First  Psalm,  and  the  Idlers  in  the  Lord's 
Vineyard.  At  Dover,  December  nth  and 
1 2th,  he  preached  four  times.  On  the  i7th  he 
was  at  Lamoiville.  December  25th  and  26th 
he  spent  in  Princeton.  The  first  Sabbath  in 
January,  1853,  found  him  at  the  Prophetstown 
Quarterly-meeting.  Whilst  here  his  daughter 
Emma  was  taken  severely  sick  with  convul- 
sions ;  still  he  attended  his  meeting.  The  next 
quarterly-meeting  occurred  at  the  Union  Grove 
Circuit,  January  8th  and  Qth.  Because  of  sick- 
ness, he  could  not  reach  the  Moline  Quarterly- 
meeting. 

On  January  4th  he  wrote  to  the  Rev.  W.  P. 


His  LAST  CONFERENCE.  343 

Golliday  with  reference  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  wishing  to  secure  him  as  a  sup- 
ply on  the  Indiantown  work — now  Tiskilwa — 
to  which  he  received  the  following  reply : 

"  LACON,  January  8,   1853. 

"  DEAR  BROTHER  PHELPS, — Your  letter  of  the  4th 
was  received  on  the  evening  of  the  6th,  and  I  have 
delayed  my  reply  only  that  I  might  give  the  subject 
that  prayerful  thought  and  attention  demanded  by  its 
great  importance.  I  believe  I  can  now  say  to  you 
that,  if  you  think  you  can  successfully  sustain  an 
application  on  my  part  for  admission  to  the  Annual 
Conference  at  its  next  session,  I  will  go, — and  by 
God's  grace  do  what  I  can  for  our  holy  religion. 
My  reasons:  I  think  it  injudicious  and  improper  for 
me  to  give  up  my  profession  for  three,  six,  or  nine 
months'  service  on  a  circuit;  but  if  there  was  a 
probability  that,  if  recommended  by  a  quarterly- 
conference,  I  could  join  the  Annual  Conference,  and 
devote  myself  wholly  hereafter  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  I  would  be  willing  to  forego  professional 
advantages  and  give  up  professional  pursuits.  If 
you  can  encourage  me  on  this  ground,  I  am  ready 
to  go  immediately  on  receipt  of  your  authority  for 
me  to  do  so. 

"Please  write  to  me  again,  so  that  I  can  know 
how  to  act,  and  if  you  approve  send  me  a  plan  of  the 
circuit,  or  advise  me  where  I  can  receive  the  neces- 
sary information.  I  would  be  pleased  to  see  you, 
and  if  you  can  be  at  home  at  any  time  that  I  shall 
be  (if  I  go  on  to  Indiantown),  I  will  be  happy  to 
call  on  you  in  Princeton.  W.  P.  GOLLIDAY.  " 


344      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

He  was  deeply  interested  in  young  men 
who  felt  moved  to  preach  the  Gospel,  and  pre- 
sented the  applications  of  many  such.  We  do 
double  work  when  we  induce  those  whom  the 
Master  has  called  to  go  and  work  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard. 

On  the  1 2th  of  January  he  wrote  to  Rev. 
J.  Morey : 

"DEAR  BROTHER, — I  drop  a  line  to  inform  you 
that  the  probabilities  are  that  I  can  not  reach  your 
quarterly-meeting,  on  account  of  the  affliction  of  my 
family.  Our  youngest  child  has  had  very  hard  con- 
vulsions for  nearly  four  weeks,  and  still  she  is  living. 
Never  before  have  \ve  passed  through  such  a  scene 
of  affliction.  I  shall  be  at  your  quarterly-meeting  if 
it  is  the  will  of  the  Lord ;  but  at  present  the  pros- 
pect is  as  dark  as  midnight. 

"In  great  haste,  yours,       A.  E.  PHELPS." 

On  January  i5th  and  i6th  he  preached  at 
Rock  Island,  from  Matthew  xiii,  38 ;  Matthew 
xvl,  26 ;  Acts  xvii,  54-60.  At  Camden,  now 
Milan,  he  preached  from  Luke  xv,  18  ;  Acts 
xvii,  54-60 ;  Psalm  xxiii. 

About  this  time  he  held  a  public  discussion 
with  Rev.  Mr.  Ketchum,  of  the  Baptist  Church 
near  Edgington,  on  the  Subjects  and  Mode  of 
Baptism.  He  was  assisted  on  the  first  propo- 
sition by  Rev.  J.  Luccock.  Elder  Ketchum 


His  LAST  CONFERENCE.  345 

was  assisted  by  Elder  Gearheart.  J.  Morey* 
says,  "  In  the  judgment  of  a  majority  of  the 
large  audience  present,  brothers  Phelps  and 
Luccock  carried  each  point  triumphantly.  This 
was  the  last  time  I  ever  saw  Elder  Phelps." 
D.  Luccock  j*  says,  of  the  same  debate,  brother 
Phelps's  arguments  on  baptism  were  almost 
irresistible. 

Such  a  discussion  tends  to  widen  the  breach 
between  the  armies  of  Immanuel.  Elder  Phelps 
was  very  loath  to  debate  any  subject  of  differ- 
ence with  sister  Churches.  When  compelled 
to  do  so,  he  maintained  a  uniform  spirit  of 
kindness  towards  his  opponents.  Long  after 
his  death,  Elder  Ketchum  spoke  in  terms  of 
great  respect  for  him  as  a  disputant  and  Chris- 
tian gentleman.  He  added :  "I  see  many  ex- 
cellencies in  your  Church,  now,  that  formerly 
I  was  not  apprised  of.  We  are  all  one  in 
Christ.  My  work  is  nearly  done."  May  his 
days,  if  he  be  still  this  side  the  river,  end  in 
peace. 


*  Letter  to  the  author.  f  Letter  to  the  author. 


CHAPTER  FIFTEENTH. 

LAST  LABORS— SICKNESS-DEATH. 

Had  become  a  Lender — Family  Affliction — Tenderness  in 
Preaching — Unusually  Busy — At  Hennepin — Mr.  Whitney — 
Numerous  Calls — Church  Dedication  at  Cedar  Point — Brother 
Collins — Last  Quarterly-meeting — Last  Sermon — A  Skeptic — 
At  J.  Wickson's — Rev.  J.  Cole— Goes  Home  Sick— Martin  P. 
Sweet — Death — Funeral — Funeral  at  Conference — Sermon  by 
H.  Crews — J.  V.  Watson. 

"  Beyond  the  gathering  and  the^strowing, 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 

Beyond  the  ebbing  and  the  flowing, 
Beyond  the  coming  and  the  going, 

I  shall  be  soon — 

Love,  Rest,  Home. 
Beyond  the  parting  and  the  meeting, 

I  shall  be  soon  ; 

Beyond  the  farewell  and  the  greeting, 
Beyond  this  pulse's  fever  beating, 

I  shall  be  soon — 

Love,  Rest,  Home."  H.  BONAR. 

THE  close  of  such  a  career  as  has  been 
briefly   outlined    in    these   pages   brings 
sadness  to  the  heart.     Elder  Phelps  was  now 
in  his  prime.     His  mind  was  thoroughly  stored 
with  such  knowledge  as  could  be  made  availa- 
ble at  all  times.     He  still  kept  up  his  habits 
346 


His  LAST  DAYS.  347 

of  study,  and  was  now  well  fitted  for  any  posi- 
tion at  the  disposal  of  a  bishop's  cabinet.  He 
had  become  a  leader  in  the  Church,  and  filled 
the  positions  to  which  he  was  called  with  em- 
inent ability.  .  His  family  affliction  continued. 
His  little  Emma  was  in  his  mind  during  his 
absence  from  home  night  and  day.  At  home 
he  sat  wearily  by  her  side,  and  fondled  her. 
At  times  he  most  earnestly  prayed  to  God  to 
take  him,  if  need  be,  but  to  spare  his  darling 
child.  He  was  much  careworn.  When  on 
his  district  his  anxiety  was  intense.  Still  he 
moved  forward  in  the  discharge  of  the  impor- 
tant duties  of  his  office  with  his  accustomed 
zeal.  His  preaching  was  unusually  tender  and 
impressive. 

Some  mention  should  be  made  of  the  faith- 
ful laymen  who  were  his  co-laborers,  who  as  he 
went  from  each  appointment  took  his  hand  for 
the  last  time.  Prominent  among  all  who  might 
be  named  was  David  Bruner,  a  local  preacher. 
A  worthier  man  than  he  is  seldom  found  any- 
where. He  was  a  prince.  His  sermon  on  the 
Land  of  Beulah,  at  a  camp- meeting,  will  live 
as  long  as  memory  endures.  .There  was  Abner 
Abbot,  a  physical  giant,  and  who  was  actually 
called  upon  to  use  his  strength  in  defense  of 
our  rights  as  a  Church.  He  was  converted  at 


348      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

family  prayers,  and  scarcely  knew  what  he  was 
doing  for  an  hour.  When  the  calm  came,  he 
found  himself  sitting  down,  and  praising  God 
at  the  top  of  his  voice.  There  was  James 
Garret,  whose  name  is  like  ointment  poured 
out.  When  seeking  religion,  the  "  last  thing 
he  knew  he  fell  back  in  despair."  The  "  first 
thing  he  knew  again"  was  when  he  ''felt  his 
hands  come  together."  He  was  a  shining  ex- 
ample of  "perfect  love."  There  was  Dr.  J. 
Neal :  although  unsteady,  he  was  a  man  of 
good  intentions,  and  a  most  ardent  advocate 
of  Methodism.  Elder  Phelps  was  his  idol.  He 
never  wearied  of  talking  of  him.  Judge  Spen- 
cer, of  Rock  Island,  was  one  of  his  firm 
friends,  and  a  noble  man  was  he.  General 
Thomas,  of  Wyoming,  who  served  in  the 
"  War  of  'Twelve,"  was  also  a  friend  to  the 
Church  and  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 
Rev.  William  Doughty,  of  New  Boston,  was  a 
man  who  helped  the  cause  of  Methodism  in 
those  early  times  ;  and  there  was  Dr.  Herald, 
whose  life  was  a  religious  commentary,  and 
whose  face  ever  beamed  with  joyfulness.  Fa- 
ther Welch  deserves  mention.  In  the  Old 
Country  he  preached  each  Sabbath,  and  often 
walked  twenty  miles  doing  so.  He  was  once 
at  Conference,  where  he  was  met  by  a  most 


His  LAST  DAYS.  349 

eccentric   old   brother   from     Knoxville,    when 
the  following  conversation  ensued  : 

Brother  -  -  to  brother  W.  "Are  you  a 
Christian?" 

Brother  W.   "Oh  yes;  for  many  years." 
Brother  -    — .   "Are  you  a  Methodist?" 
Brother  W.   "Yes,  I  am  a  Methodist." 
Brother  -    — .  "Are  you  a  good  Methodist?" 
Brother  W.  "Well,    I    will    leave    that    to 
brother  Sullivan."  * 

The  old  gentleman  here  referred  to  was  a 
remarkable  man  of  faith,  and  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.  He  used  to  pray,  "O  Lord,  have 
mercy  on  the  wretched,  miserable,  God-for- 
saken, hell  -  deserving,  heaven  -  defying,  hair- 
hung,  and  breath-shaken  sinner!" 

Time  would  fail  if  we  should  speak  of  all 
the  worthy  men  of  those  days  who  were  co- 
laborers.  Here  was  a  humble  man,  who 
shouted  by  day  and  by  night.  Often,  when 
milking,  he  would  forget  and  shout  for  joy, 
and  then  coax  up  to  the  affrighted  cow,  only 
to  repeat  the  same  again  and  again.  Dr. 
Lyford,  of  Port  Byron,  George  Norton,  of 
Neponset,  J.  B.  Brown,  Father  Williams,  of 
Moline,  and  a  host  of  others,  and  a  noble  army 
of  sisters,  whose  names  are  in  the  records  of 


*  Himself  an  earnest  and  worthy  Methodist. 


35O      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

God,  deserve  mention.  There  was  such  an 
host  of  "  mothers  in  Israel "  who  wrought  in 
the  vineyard,  that  to  mention  any  would  be 
injustice  to  others. 

The  Methodist  women  of  those  days  were 
very  positive  in  their  testimony,  and  they 
"took  joyfully  the  spoiling  of  their  goods  "  for 
the  cause  of  the  Master.  Many  of  these  es- 
teemed Presiding  Elder  Phelps  very  highly  for 
his  untiring  zeal  for  the  Church.  Crowds  waited 
upon  his  ministry.  These  all  would  soon  see 
him  no  more  on  earth. 

"One  morn  I  missed  him  on  the  'customecl  hill; 

Along  the  heath,  and  near  his  favorite  tree 
Another  came — nor  yet  beside  the  rill, 

Nor  up  the  lawn,  nor  at  the  wood,  was  he."  * 

Out  of  the  bounds  of  his  district  were  also 
numerous  friends,  such  as  A.  Lunt,  Professor 
Pinckney,  brothers  Bishop,  Sheriff,  Swarts, 
Waggoner,  who  stood  in  their  lot  and  wrought 
nobly  in  the  field.  Of  such  friends  Mr.  Phelps 
had  many.  With  some  he  had  formed  an  ac- 
quaintance only  on  public  occasions  ;  with  oth- 
ers he  had  labored  as  pastor,  agent,  or  presid- 
ing^ elder.  Some  years  ago  the  writer  met  one 
of  these  special  friends, f  who  insisted  on  cut- 
ting his  hair  precisely  as  Elder  Phelps  had  worn 

*  Gray.  t  Mr.  Asher  Smith. 


His  LAST  DAYS.  351 

his  in  an  early  day.  Of  course  he  did  not 
prevail.  The  reader  may  easily  imagine  the 
depth  of  grief  that  swept  these  hearts  a  few 
weeks  later. 

At  some  of  his  appointments  his  sermon 
most  powerfully  moved  the  people.  Many  of 
the  preachers  of  his  district  were  engaged  in 
protracted  meetings,  and  his  services  were  con- 
stantly in  demand.  Affliction  and  incessant 
labors  were  telling  fearfully  upon  his  nervous 
system.  In  the  love-feast  his  personal  narra- 
tions were  pathetic  and  moving.  In  preaching 
he  seemed  unusually  happy.  It  was  the  bright 
flash  of  the  expiring  flame.  On  the  twenty- 
first  day  of  March,  if  living,  he  would  be  forty- 
seven  years  old. 

"Over  the  river  they  beckon  me, 

Loved  ones  who  've  crossed  on  the  farther  side; 
The  gleam  of  their  snowy  robes  I  see, 

But  their  voices  are  lost  in  the  clashing  tide. 

"  I  shall  know  the  loved  who  have  gone  before, 

And  joyfully  sweet  will  the  meeting  be, 
When  over  the  river,  the  peaceful  river, 
The  angel  of  death  shall  carry  me."  * 

And  he  did  not  wait  long. 
During  the  entire  month  of  February,  he  was 
very  busy  and  his  family  was  still  sick.     Thus 


N.  A.  W.  Priest. 


352      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

he  was  taxed  to  the  utmost  of  his  strength.* 
On  March  3d  he  started  on  his  way  to  dedicate 
the  Cedar  Point  Church.  The  day  was  cold. 
He  was  delayed  some  time  at  the  crossing  of 
the  Illinois  River  at  Hennepin.  He  entered 
the  office  of  D.  Markley,  a  worthy  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  at  Henne- 
pin, since  gone  home  too,  late  in  the  afternoon, 
and  sat  warming  himself,  when  Mr.  Whitney 
entered  the  office  also,  and  was  introduced. 
He  seemed  to  be  smarting  still  under  his  terri- 
ble defeat  in  July,  1852.  When  introduced  to 
Mr.  Phelps,  he  manifested  a  spirit  of  bitter- 
ness and  declined  to  shake  hands  with  him. 
They  sat  down  and  conversed  about  the  late 
debate  for  a  short  time,  and  then  Elder  Phelps 
went  out  and  made  twenty  pastoral  calls  and 
returned  in  time  for  tea.  Mr.  Whitney  after- 
ward referred  to  his  cold  reception  of  Mr. 
Phelps  with  much  feeling,  and  confessed  that 
he  had  done  wrong.  The  next  morning  D. 
Markley  shook  hands  with  him  for  the  last  time. 
•  On  March  6th  he  dedicated  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  at  Cedar  Point,  near  Peru, 
111.  Rev.  R.  N.  Morse  was  pastor.  He  says 
his  dedicatory  sermon  was  delivered  with  very 


*  He  omitted  to   note  down  his  texts  for  several  weeks, 
probably  for  want  of  time. 


His  LAST  DAYS.  353 

great  power  and  unction.  In  the  evening  he 
preached  from  "Why  stand  ye  here  all  the 
day  idle?"  An  influential  man  present  re- 
marked to  the  pastor:  "Elder  Phelps  has 
swept  away  my  last  excuse,  and  left  nothing 
whatever  to  stand  upon."  He  tarried  over 
night  with  brother  Collins,  the  father  of  Rev. 
Wm.  Collins,  of  Central  Illinois  Conference. 
During  the  morning  he  complained  of  being 
unusually  exhausted,  and  while  conducting  the 
family  devotions  he  fainted.  On  recovering  he 
was  urged  to  tarry  until  better  able  to  go 
home.  Against  this  he  protested,  and  pro- 
ceeded on  his  journey  to  his  quarterly-meet- 
ing. On  Saturday  he  preached  from  Matt, 
xx,  6.  On  Sabbath  he  preached  from  Isa.  5, 
4:  "What  could  have  been  done  more  to  my 
vineyard  that  I  have  not  done  in  it?  wherefore, 
when  I  looked  that  it  should  bring  forth  grapes, 
brought  it  forth  wild  grapes  ?"  This  text  is  the 
last  one  recorded.  He  preached  again  at  night 
on  the  destruction  of  the  earth  by  fire.  A 
brother*  who  heard  it  says  Mr.  Phelps  spoke 
for  two  hours  and  fifteen  minutes.  It  was  a 
remarkable  sermon.  A  skeptic  asked  the  pas- 
tor how  long  Mr.  Phelps  had  preached,  and 
when  informed  of  the  great  length  of  the 

*  Father  Cole,  now  of  Tiskihvu. 
3° 


354      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

discourse,  he  said:  "I  would  have  bet  fifty  dol- 
lars that  he  had  not  spoken  to  exceed  a  half 
hour,  had  I  not  kept  the  time  myself.  I  could 
have  listened  to  him  all  night."  This  was  his 
last  sermon.  At  the  close  of  the  meeting  he 
told  his  friends  that  he  was  sick,  and  that  his 
work  was  done.  However,  the  next  day  he 
was  better. 

This  quarterly-meeting  was  his  last.  It  was 
held  in  Sinclair  Chapel.  It  was  appropriate 
that  he  should  close  his  labors  in  a  church 
edifice  named  in  honor  of  his  old  colleague 
and  presiding  elder.  He  spent  the  night  at 
the  house  of  Jesse  Wickson.  On  Monday, 
March  Qth,  he  was  accompanied  to  his  home 
in  Princeton  by  kind  friends.  He  assisted  in 
putting  away  his  horse,  and  then  went  in  and 
took  his  bed.  He  told  his  wife  and  children 
he  had  come  home  to  die.  His  friends  did  not 
at  first  consider  him  very  dangerously  sick. 
They  knew  he  had  been  utterly  overtaxed,  and 
supposed  that  in  a  few  days  he  would  "rally." 
In  this  they  were  disappointed.  He  was  much 
of  the  time  delirious,  and  whispered  in  a  man- 
ner that  excited  their  deepest  solicitude.  Rev. 
John  Cole  called  to  see  him.  He  asked  him 
to  read  the  Bible  and  pray.  At  one  time  he 
-called  for  the  reading  of  the  ninetieth  Psalm. 

o 


His  LAST  DAYS.  355 

Rev.    Martin   T.  Sweet   called   upon  "him   fre- 
quently and  prayed  in  his  behalf. 

His  next  quarterly-meeting  occurred  on  the 
Lamoille  Circuit,  March  i5th,  i6th.  Of  course 
he  was  absent.  He  drew  up  a  brief  statement 
of  his  secular  affairs.  Then  he  grew  rapidly 
worse.  When  conscious  he  spoke  hopefully 
and  cheerfully  of  the  future.  He  knew  that 
death  was  at  his  side  to  claim  him  as  his  prey. 
He  was  calm  and  happy.  Would  that  his  dy- 
ing words  could  be  recorded.  His  interest  in  his 
family  was  touching.  This  was  the  only  link 
that  bound  him  to  earth.  He  became  wholly 
unconscious  and  sank  rapidly ;  and  on  Wednes- 
day, March  2Oth,  he  breathed  his  last.  He 
passed  away  as  quietly  as  an  infant. 

The  funeral  services  were  conducted  by 
Rev.  Martin  T.  Sweet.  He  preached  an  able 
and  appropriate  sermon  from  2  Tim.  iv,  6. 
There  is  no  outline  of  this  sermon  at  hand,  or 
to  be  obtained.  Rev.  F.  S'mith  was  present, 
and  sat  as  a  mourner.  Many  friends  from 
adjoining  charges  were  there  to  look  at  him 
for  the  last  time.  D.  Markley  drove  over  from 
Hennepin.  It  was  a  sad  occasion.  One  of  the 
hymns  was  sung  to  "China."  One  who  was 
present  thought  that  tune  had  never  seemed 
so  mournfully  sweet  before.  The  second 


* 
356      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

hymn  "Servant  of  God,  well  done,"  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  all  present. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  had  rarely 
been  so  crowded  on  such  an  occasion.  The 
large  audience  were  deeply  moved. 

After  the  services  at  the  church  his  remains 
were  followed  by  an  immense  crowd  of  weep- 
ing friends,  and  laid  away  to  sleep  in  the 
Princeton  Cemetery.  His  death  made  a  deep 
impression  on  the  public  mind  in  Central  Illi- 
nois. The  tragic  death  of  Rev.  A.  Woolis- 
croft  during  the  same  year  added  to  the  gen- 
eral gloom.  He  had  returned  from  his  ap- 
pointment to  his  home.  Was  unwell,  and  took, 
as  he  supposed,  a  dose  of  magnesia.  It  proved 
to  be  arsenic  instead,  and  produced  death  in  a 
short  time.  He,  too,  was  much  beloved.  He 
had  traveled  extensively  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio, 
and  had  come  to  spend  his  "Autumn"  in  Rock 
River  Conference.  A  public  discussion  had 
been  talked  of  for  several  years  in  Mercer 
County  with  Universalists.  Mr.  Phelps  was 
named  as  the  proper  man  to  represent  our 
Church.  Now  he  had  fallen.* 


*  Rev.  John  Luccock  finally  championed  the  cause  of  or- 
thodoxy, and  so  completely  discomfited  Rev.  Wm.  Riley,  that 
he  gave  tip  preaching  and  became  a  lawyer.  He  has  long 
since  gone  to  meet  his  judge. 


His  LAST  DAYS.  357 

Several  quarterly  conferences  passed  reso- 
lutions of  condolence.  The  following  was 
transmitted  to  Mrs.  Charlotte  Phelps  by  Rev. 
C.  M.  Wright: 

"DEAR  SISTER, — The  following  preamble  and  reso- 
lutions were  unanimously  passed  by  the  Quarterly- 
meeting  Conference  of  Moline  Circuit,  Rock  Island 
District,  Rock  River  Conference,  April  3,  1853,  at 
Moline: 

"  Whereas,  it  has  pleased  the  GREAT  HEAD  of  the 
Church  to  remove  by  death  our  worthy  and  much 
loved  Presiding  Elder,  the  Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps ;  there- 
fore, we,  the  members  of  the  Quarterly-meeting  Con- 
ference, Moline  Circuit,  Rock  Island  District,  Rock 
River  Conference,  resolve, 

"I.  That  we  deeply  regret  the  loss  which  we,  not 
only  as  a  circuit  and  district,  but  as  a  Church  have 
sustained. 

"2.  We  also  feel  to  mourn  and  sympathize  with 
his  afflicted  family  in  their  bereavement. 

"3.  That  we  will  forward  to  his  widow  his  full 
claim  for  the  current  quarter. 

"4.  That  a  copy  of  the  above  be  forwarded  to 
sister  Phelps,  and  also  to  the  NortJnvestern  Christian 
Advocate  and  Western  Christian  Advocate  for  publica- 
tion. Signed  in  behalf  of  the  conference. 

"  C.  M.  WRIGHT,  President. 

"E.  F.  ARCULARIUS,  Secretary.'' 

The  Lafayette  Circuit  passed  similar  reso- 
lutions.- The  Rock  Island  District  was  in 
mourning.  The  vacancy  was  filled  by  the 


358     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

appointment  of  Rev.  John  Chandler,  who  suc- 
ceeded him  on  the  district.*  A  vacancy  had 
occurred  on  the  Lafayette  Circuit,  the  junior 
preacher  having  gone  home.  The  place  was 
filled  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Cummings.  This  was  a  re- 
sult very  gratifying  to  his  old  leader  and  friends 
at  Wyoming. 

Conference  was  held  in  Clark  Street  Church, 
Chicago,  Illinois.  Bishop  Scott  presided ;  P. 
Judson  was  chosen  secretary.  At  the  first  roll 
call  eighty-eight  members  responded.  When 
the  name  "A.  E.  Phelps  "  was  called,  a  sol- 
emn silence  ensued.  As  the  call  continued,  the 
name  of  "Absalom  Wooliscroft"  likewise  was 
followed  by  the  stillness  of  death,  more  elo- 
quent than  the  words  of  the  orator  or  the  cre- 
ations of  art.  The  Conference  set  apart  an 
hour  for  the  memorial  services,  which  were 
conducted  by  Rev.  H.  Crews.  Rev.  J.  V. 
Watson  made  touching  reference  to  the  solemn 
occasion  in  the  Northwestern  Christian  Advo- 
cate, of  which  he  was  then  the  accomplished 
editor,  as  follows : 

REV.  H.  CREWS. 

"A  sermon  was  preached  by  this  brother,  at  the 
late  Rock  River  Conference,  on  the  deaths  of  broth- 
ers Phelps  and  Wooliscroft,  which  we  had  designed 

*Rev.  F.  Smith's  letter  to  the  author,  May  27,  1878. 


His  LAST  DAYS.  359 

to  hear,  but  was  disappointed.  We  have  several 
times  heard  the  sermon  alluded  to  as  being  pertinent, 
appropriate,  and  impressive.  One  of  our  correspond- 
ents referring  to  the  sermon,  describes  a  reference 
made  in  it  to  the  lamented  Phelps: 

"  'Brother  Phelps  had  a  good  Christian  mother, 
who  often  spoke  to  him  of  the  Savior.  But  this 
mother  died,  and  the  disconsolate  boy  began  to 
think  of  those  things  his  mother  had  told  him.  He 
wished  to  be  a  Christian.  The  most  Christian  person 
he  knew  of  was  an  old  negro,  whom  he  supposed 
to  be  pious.  To  him  young  Phelps  went  for  consola- 
tion ;  but  the  old  negro  told  him  boys  were  not  old 
enough  to  be  religious  until  the}'  were  twelve  years 
old — Phelps  was  ten.  Phelps  thought  the  negro 
ought  to  know  and  believed  him,  but  waited  with 
anxious  solicitude  for  the  time  to  come  when  he 
could  be  a  Christian.  He  did  not  forget  it,  and 
longed  for  the  day  when  he  might  give  himself  to 
God,  as  many  a  boy  has  for  the  day  when  he  should 
be  twenty-one.  At  last  the  day  rolled  around  when 
he  would  be  twelve.  On  the  morning  of  his  birth- 
day he  arose  very  early,  and  kneeling  at  his  bedside, 
dedicated  himself  to  God.  He  never,  from  that  day 
until  his  death,  took  back  the  sacrifice. 
After  brother  Phelps  came  to  manhood,  an  old  for- 
tune-teller told  him  he  would  become  rich  and  then 
fall  away  into  sin,  and  so  be  lost.  Property  gathered 
around  him,  and  sometimes  fears  would  come  up  lest 
the  old  hag  might  have  spoken  the  truth.  But  she 
was  wrong  for  once,  for  he  died  in  the  triumphs  of 
faith.'" 


CHAPTER  SIXTEENTH. 

PEN-PORTRAITURES  BY  CO-LABORERS. 

Sketch  by  Rev.  H.  Ritchie — Rev.  Francis  Smith — Rev.  U. 
P.  Golliday— Rev.  Z.  Hall— Rev.  R.  Haney. 

"  Is  not  e'en  death  a  gain  to  those 

Whose  lives  to  God  were  given  ? 
Gladly  they  close  their  eyes  on  earth 
To  open  them  in  heaven." 

"Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant." 

THE    Rev.  H.   Ritchie  was  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  Mr.  Phelps,  and  after  his 
decease  conducted   several   public   discussions 
to  a  successful  issue.     He   served  two  terms 
in  the  eldership,  and  was  twice  called  to  rep- 
resent his  brethren  in  the  General  Conference. 
Rev.    F.   Smith    was    also    intimately   asso- 
ciated with  Mr.  Phelps,  and  after  his  decease 
served  two  terms  in  the  eldership,  and  met  in 
discussion  several  able  opponents  of  our  doc- 
trine with  good  success.     Rev.  Z.  Hall  was  a 
pioneer  co-laborer  with   the  lamented  Phelps. 
His  simple  narrative  will  be  read  with  interest. 
Rev.  R.  Haney  was  intimate  with  the  subject 
360 


PEN  PORTRAITURES.  361 

of  this  volume  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury. He  needs  no  description.  Rev.  U.  P. 
Golliday,  M.  D.,  of  the  Des  Moines  Confer- 
ence was  for  a  time  also  intimately  associated 
with  Mr.  Phelps,  and  his  statement  will  repay 
a  careful  reading. 

Rev.  H.  RITCHIE  says: 

"Among  the  treasures  preserved  in  the  Church 
for  usefulness  are  the  recorded  lives  and  labors  of 
holy  men.  Protestants  have  no  saints  to  be  wor- 
shiped as  tutelary  divinities.  Yet  they  do  find  in 
the  Bible  recqrds  of  good  men  'whose  faith'  we  are 
commanded  'to  follow;  considering  the  end  of  their 
conversation — manner  of  life — Jesus  Christ,  the  same 
yesterday,  to-day,  and  forever.'  They  therefore  ap- 
prove the  recording  of  good  deeds  performed  by 
eminent  men,  to  live  and  to  speak  when  their  authors 
are  dead. 

"Methodism  has  contributed  largely  to  such  Chris- 
tian literature.  Yet  when  we  remember  the  host  of 
worthies  she  has  produced,  these  records  are  not  too 
numerous.  Many  a  life  poem  is  yet  unsung.  The 
itinerant  system,  for  the  first  seventy-five  years  of 
its  American  history,  by  its  toil  and  exposure  devel- 
oped a  moral  heroism  unsurpassed  in  modern  annals. 
These  noble  men  crossed  mountains,  swam  rivers, 
forcing  their  way  through  trackless  forests,  and  across 
untrodden  prairies  amid  the  frosts  of  Winter  and 
the  scorching  heat  of  Summer.  They  were  often 
exposed  to  the  attacks  of  wild  beasts  and  savage 
men.  They  were  actuated  by  the  same  martyr 


362      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

spirit  that  in  earlier  ages  induced  men  to  lay  down 
their  lives  upon  the  block  or  amid  the  tortures  of 
the  rack  or  flames.  Our  o\vn  Illinois  has  furnished 
men  Avorthy  of  being  enrolled  with  this  immortal 
company.  Among-  the  number  are  Jesse  Walker, 
Smith  L.  Robinson,  John  Dew,  A.  E.  Phelps,  John 
Sinclair,  Peter  Cartwright,  Peter  Akers,  and  Henry 
Summers.  Except  the  last  two  named,  all  these 
have  passed  away.  The  survivors  bring  to  each  ses- 
sion of  the  Illinois  and  Central  Illinois  Conferences 
a  benediction  by  their  presence. 

"Among  our  departed  brethren,  whether  con- 
sidered as  a  man,  a  preacher,  or  an  officer  of  the 
Church,  none  is  more  worthy  of  honorable  mention 
than  the  subject  of  this  biography,  —  the  lamented 
Asahel  EHhu  Phelps.  In  the  delineation  of  the 
character  of  a  man,  whom  I  loved  more  devotedly 
than  any  save  my  own  relatives,  I  can  scare  trust 
myself  as  a  contributor.  The  partiality  of  personal 
friendship  may  lead  me  into  excessive  eulogy.  But 
most  of  all  do  I  distrust  my  ability  to  do  justice  to 
his  character. 

"As  a  preacher,  brother  Phelps  would  have  been, 
and  would  be  to-day,  a  man  of  mark  in  any  confer- 
ence in  the  connection.  This  is  true  not  merely  of 
a  few  and  special  efforts,  but  of  his  regular  ministra- 
tions. He  was  an  indefatigable  student.  All  his 
sermons  were  prepared  with  laborious  care.  In  ex- 
amining his  sketches,  some  years  after  his  death,  I 
was  deeply  impressed  by  the  evidence  of  their  fre- 
quent revision.  His  manner  of  delivery  was  easy 
and  natural.  There  was  an  entire  absence  of  all 
mannerism,  or  peculiarity  of  tone,  or  affectation  of 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  363 

any  kind.  His  utterance,  though  rapid,  was  distinct; 
and  such  was  the  skill  and  melody  of  his  voice  that, 
once  heard,  it  never  could  be  forgotten.  He  was  a 
preacher  of  good  judgment.  He  adapted  his  theme 
to  the  necessities  of  his  congregation,  if  in  any  good 
degree  informed  of  their  character  and  surroundings. 
Few  men  were  happier  in  this  regard  than  he.  Al- 
ways impressive,  he  enlisted  the  interest  of  his 
audience,  and  held  it  to  the  end.  The  effect  was 
the  same,  whether  amid  the  thousands  gathered  at 
the  camp-meeting  on  the  Sabbath,  or  the  few  in  a 
private  house. 

"Theological  controversy  was  at  its  height  in  his 
day.  Then,  as  now,  'all  sorts  of  men  were  preach- 
ing all  sorts  of  doctrines.'  Through  the  press  these 
errorists  could  not  be  dealt  with  so  successfully  then 
as  now.  Indeed,  the  great  mass  of  men  could  not  be 
thus  reached  at  all.  The  charity  of  brother  Phelps 
was  not  of  the  kind  that  allows  '  truth  to  fall  in  the 
streets '  for  want  of  a  defender.  In  sermons  and 
public  debates  he  did  immense  service  to  the  cause 
of  truth.  In  debate  he  was  a  model.  His  statement 
of  propositions  was  so  clear  and  precise  as  to  defy 
successful  caviling.  His  courtesy  to  opponents  was 
so  uniform  as  always  to  win  their  respect.  He  never 
allowed  himself  to  exhibit  bad  temper,  even  when 
provoked  by  the  rudest  personal  assaults;  and  he 
never  descended  to  any  thing  of  the  kind  himself. 
He  stated  the  arguments  of  an  opponent  in  his  own 
words,  and  placed  upon  them  the  most  obvious  con- 
struction. 

"As  an  administrator  of  discipline  he  was  strict, 
but  not  harsh.  Believing  that  it  was  the  mission  of 


364      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

the  Church  to  save  men,  he  would  forbear,  and  ad- 
vise forbearance,  as  long  as  there  Avas  hope.  But 
when  it  became  evident  that  an  offender  must  be 
dealt  with  or  the  Church  must  suffer,  he  permitted 
no  sentimental  pity  to  prevent  a  faithful  discharge 
of  duty. 

"As  a  presiding  elder  he  was  equally  careful  to 
secure  a  faithful  performance  of  duty  on  the  part  of 
the  ministers  and  to  secure  an  ample  supply  of  their 
Avants. 

"As  a  man  our  brother  had  a  marked  individ- 
uality. He  copied  none  but  Christ.  He  possessed 
a  genuine  manhood.  I  have  often  thought  that  this 
matter  is  lost  sight  of  in  admitting  men  to  confer- 
ence membership.  We  receive  men  who,  with  piety 
and  pulpit  ability,  yet  make  themselves  contempt- 
ible in  the  eyes  of  the  people  in  their  social  rela- 
tions and  business  transactions.  Despised  them- 
selves for  little  and  unworthy  deeds,  the  cause  too 
often  is  made  to  suffer  with  them.  Nothing  of  this 
kind  could  be  said  of  our  beloved  friend.  There 
was  nothing  in  his  nature  sordid  or  selfish.  He  de- 
sired his  salary  to  be  paid  because  he  had  earned  it, 
but  neither  made  nor  allowed  unmanly  appeals  to 
secure  from  the  people  what  their  sense  of  justice 
failed  to  bring.  He  enjoyed  the  esteem  of  the 
people,  and  especially  that  of  his  brethren  of  the 
ministry,  but  without  any  improper  arts  and  un- 
worthy devices  to  obtain  it.  Hence  he  never  iden- 
tified himself  with  any  of  the  popular  outside  organ- 
izations, to  gain  money,  position,  or  influence  other 
than  what  his  merits  properly  deserved. 

"He  was  a  positive  character.     Being  of  an  ar- 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  365 

dent  temperament  and  of  strong  convictions,  he  was 
not  the  man  to  purchase  popularity  by  prudent 
silence.  If  a  question  had  two  sides  he  made  his 
choice.  He  was  no  '  fence- viewer. '  If  wrong  was 
likely  to  succeed,  or  right  to  fail,  his  voice  was  sure 
to  be  heard.  And  when  the  vote  was  taken  on  such 
questions  he  never  failed  to  "show  his  hand,"  even 
when  in  a  lean  minority. 

"As  a  friend  he  was  true  as  gold  tried  in  the 
fire.  As  long  as  he  believed  a  man  worthy  he  would 
stand  by  him,  no  matter  who  were  against  him. 

"Of  brother  Phelps  in  his  domestic  relations  I 
can  not  speak,  as  it  was  never,  during  his  life-time, 
my  privilege  to  visit  his  family.  But  from  others, 
who  were  acquainted  with  him  in  this  relation,  I 
learn  that  as  a  luisband  and  father  he  was  as  near  a 
model  example  as  is  ordinarily  met  with  in  this 
sinful  world. 

"This  outline  of  character  would  be  imperfect 
did  I  fail  to  mention  what  seemed  to  me  the  point 
of  weakness.  He  was  too  sensitive  of  his  reputation. 
Would  it  not  be  well  for  one  to  leave  the  care  of  even 
this  valuable  treasure  to  God  and  his  friends?  But. 
without  defects  he  could  not  share  human  nature; 
and  where  so  many  excellencies  meet  we  can  easily 
overlook  a  defect  in  such  a  character. 

"His  industry  was  truly  exemplary.  More  lit- 
erally than  any  other  man  that  I  have  known,  he 
was  'never  unemployed,  never  triflin^ly  employed.' 
To  him  'life  was  real,  life  was  earnest,'  and  every 
waking  hour  was  devoted  to  hard  work  or  diligent 
study.  He  died  in  his  forty -seventh  year,  yet  had 
he  lived  long,  because  he  had  lived  well." 


366      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Rev.  FRANCIS  SMITH  says  : 

"Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps  was  attractive  in  person, 
rather  over  medium  height,  slender  and  straight  as 
an  Indian.  He  had  dark  hair,  large  gray  eyes, 
with  high,  full  forehead,  and  symmetrical  features, 
throughout;  was  lithe,  and  quick  of  motion.  To  a 
stranger  or  superficial  observer  he  appeared  stiff  and 
unapproachable ;  but  upon  closer  observation  and 
more  thorough  acquaintance  all  such  impressions 
vanished,  and  the  reverse  was  found'  to  be  true  in  an 
eminent  degree.  In  fact,  he  was  one  of  the  most 
affable  and  approachable  men  I  have  ever  known. 

"As  a  husband  and  father,  he  was  affectionate 
and  kind,  almost  to  a  fault.  Some  of  his  friends 
believe  he  fell  a  martyr  to  this  passion  for  his  family. 
In  his  dealings  with  men,  he  was  conscientious,  scru- 
pulously honest,  and  benevolent  to  a  degree  worthy 
of  imitation. 

"As  a  Christian,  he  was  ardent,  yet  consistent. 
His  piety  was  not  like  the  meteor  flash,  with  its 
momentary  glare,  without  warmth  and  force,  but  was 
like  the  real  flame,  possessed  of  light,  heat,  and 
power.  In  the  later  years  of  his  life  he  seemed  to 
be  wholly  swallowed  up  in  God,  and  he  might  justly 
have  said,  '  The  zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten 
me  up.' 

"As  a  laborer  in  the  Master's  vineyard,  he  was  a 
model  in  no  ordinary  degree.  Whether  serving  in 
the  agency  of  our  literary  institutions,  in  the  pulpit, 
or  at  the  altars  of  the  Church,  he  was  s'eldom  equaled, 
and  scarcely  ever  surpassed.  He  gave  more  hours 
to  his  legitimate  work  than  any  man  I  have  ever 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  367 

known.  He  read  all  our  standard  works,  besides 
many  miscellaneous  books.  He  was  a  '  scribe  thor- 
oughly instructed  unto  the  kingdom  of  heaven.'  It 
was  his  custom  to  scatter  the  literature  of  the  Church 
over  his  large  circuits  and  districts  like  the  leaves  of 
Autumn.  Probably  no  man  of  modern  times  has 
left  more  good  books  in  the  families  of  the  Church 
than  did  he.  I  have  often  coveted  his  gifts  and  suc- 
cess in  that  direction. 

"His  business  habits  were  such  as  always  give 
success.  He  did  not,  like  too  many,  wait  for  some-, 
thing  to  turn  up,  but  he  was  always  turning  up  some- 
thing that  enabled  him  to  compass  his  object.  He 
was  punctual,  prompt,  diligent,  energetic,  to  the  last 
degree,  in  all  of  his  undertakings;  hence  his  brethren 
and  the  Church  never  anticipated  or  wrote  failure 
with  reference  to  what  was  laid  upon  or  required  at 
the  hands  of  this  faithful  man  of  God,  but,  '  Well 
done,  thou  faithful  servant.' 

"As  an  administrator,  he  was  prompt,  mild,  and 
accurate.  He  presided  in  his  quarterly -conferences 
with  dignity,  and  yet  with  so  much  urbanity  that  the 
least  of  all  his  brethren  felt  they  were  respected  and 
appreciated  by  him.  He  was  none  of  your  negative 
or  non-committal  characters,  but  always  assumed 
responsibilities  that  legitimately  belonged  to  the  posi- 
tion he  occupied ;  and  if  he  erred  at  all,  as  an  ad- 
ministrator, it  was  in  the  direction  of  mercy. 

"As  a  defender  of  the  faith,  he  had  but  few 
peers,  and  no  superiors.  Hp  was  fair  and  conscien- 
tious in  all  of  his  controversies  with  theological  op- 
ponents, always  aiming  to  get  at  their  real  positions, 
and  then  meeting  them  with  sound  logic,  and  con- 
ceding their  authorities.  If  he  was  under  the  neccs- 


368      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

sity  of  meeting  fling  or  sally  of  wit,  .he  would  do  it 
with  such  a  keen  lance  that  the  hopeless  victim 
would  rather  relish  than  complain  of  his  utter  dis- 
comfiture. His  discussions  were  conducted  for  the 
vindication  of  truth,  and  not  for  personal  victory. 
He  seemed  to  be,  and  doubtless  was,  actuated  by 
the  feeling  that  we  can  not  afford  to  excel  our 
friends  in  argument  only,  but  in  the  manifestation  of 
the  Christian  spirit  also.  The  results  of  all  his  dis- 
cussions seemed  to  be  salutary.  They  were  not 
bootless  contests,  in  which  Samson  not  only  slew 
his  enemies,  but  also  killed  himself.  As  an  evidence 
of  the  good  effect  of  these  debates,  whenever  it  was 
known  he  was  to  preach  in  these  communities  sub- 
sequently, his  former  opponents  had  such  respect  for 
his  ability  as  an  expounder  of  God's  Word,  and 
such  confidence  in  his  moral  integrity,  that  they 
came,  far  and  near,  and  in  mass,  to  attend  on  his 
ministrations.  He  was  frequently  invited  to  their 
pulpits  on  such  occasions.  At  the  close  of  a  nine 
days'  discussion  in  the  Christian  church  at  Coal- 
brook,  they  granted  him  the  use  of  their  church  for 
the  baptism  of  infants,  and  the  whole  body  of  '  Dis- 
ciples '  remained  to  witness  the  ceremony.  As  long 
as  we  had  A.  E.  Phelps  to  champion  our  cause  we 
felt  perfectly  secure. 

"As  a  preacher,  he  could  hardly  be  classed  either 
with  Paul,  A  polios,  or  Cephas,  and  yet  he  possessed 
some  of  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  all  of 
them.  He  spoke  rapidly,  and  would  utter  more 
words  in  a  given  time  than  any  speaker  I  have  ever 
listened  to;  and- yet  each  sentence  was  clear  cut,  and 
each  word  distinctly  uttered.  Unlike  most  rapid 
speakers,  his  tone  was  not  monotonous,  but  his  voice 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  369 

was  well  modulated.  He  was  perfectly  self-pos- 
sessed, and  yet  at  times  impassioned  in  the  highest 
degree.  He  was  never  nonplused  or  disconcerted. 
He  excelled  in  the  command  of  words,  incidents, 
and  authorities,  and  seemed  to  have  on  hand  an  ex- 
haustless  reserve  fund  for  all  occasions.  In  retort, 
repartee,  and  read)''  reply,  he  was  unrivaled.  In 
preaching  his  matter  was  mainly  Biblical,  but  he 
would  call  to  his  aid  art,  science,  history.  He  made 
all  realms  subservient  to  his  bidding.  An  incident 
illustrative  of  this  occurred  on  the  camp  ground  near 
Lafayette,  111.  While  preaching  from  the  first  Psalm, 
when  he  reached  the  clause,  '  He  shall  not  stand  in 
the  judgment,'  there  was  a  fearful  thunder-storm  ap- 
proaching, of  which  he  took  advantage  with  wonder- 
ful facility  and  power,  until  the  stoutest  hearts  quailed 
under  his  mighty  appeals.  The  logical,  rhetorical, 
and  hortatory  were  blended  in  his  ministrations. 
Sometimes  one  and  then  the  other  would  predom- 
inate, as  occasion  might  demand.  I  close  in  the 
language  of  a  very  intelligent  lady  of  another  de- 
nomination, who,  on  hearing  of  his  decease,  ex- 
claimed, with  quivering  lip  and  tearful  eye,  'I  never 
expect  to  hear  or  look  upon  his  like  again.'  Truly, 
when  A.  E.  Phelps  went  down  'there  fell  a  mighty 
man  and  a  prince  in  our  Israel.'.  God  help  me  and 
my  brethren  to  emulate  his  virtues!" 

Dr.    U.    P.   GOLLIDAY   knew   Elder    Phelps 
well,  and   wrote   to   the  author,  June  8,  1878: 

"  DEAR  BROTHER, — As  I  recollect  Elder  Phelps,  he 
was  about  five  feet  eight  or  ten  inches  in  height,  of  a 


370      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

slim  build,  without  a  redundancy  of  flesh,  yet  mus- 
cular enough  for  symmetry  of  form,  lithe  and  active 
in  both  mind  and  body.  As  a  preacher,  argumenta- 
tive rather  than  emotional,  eloquent  always,  some- 
times pathetic,  arousing  an  audience  to  a  high  degree 
of  feeling  and  enthusiasm,  clear  and  forcible  in  his 
presentation  of  truth,  convincing  the  judgment  and 
enlightening  the  mind. 

"In  private  life,  genial  and  social,  of  fine  conver- 
sational powers,  which,  from  his  extensive  and  inti- 
mate acquaintance  with  men  and  things,  rendered 
him  an  agreeable  and  desirable  member  of  a  circle 
of  friends. 

"In  debate,  he  was  dignified  and  courteous, 
never  descending  to  the  vulgar  ruse  of  ridicule  or 
perversion  in  treating  the  argument  of  an  opponent; 
but  having  due  regard  for  the  amenities  of  debate, 
as  well  as  in  the  more  intimate  relations  of  private 
life,  he  seemed  disposed  to  treat  with  respectful  con- 
sideration the  argument  as  well  as  the  person  of  the 
party  opposed  to  him.  The  debate  between  Elders 
Phelps  and  Barr  was  held  at  Henry,  in  Marshall 
County,  111.,  commencing  June  22d,  and  closing  July 
I,  1852.*  A  Rev.  Mr,  M'Kinney  came  with  Elder 
Barr,  from  some  point  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 
State,  I  think  from  Danville.  He,  with  myself,  and 
another  person  Avhose  name  I  do  not  now  recollect, 
were* chosen  moderators.  Elder  Barr  represented  the 
Christian  Church,  known  in  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Ken- 
tucky as  the  New  Light  body.  They  were  reputed 
to  be  the  followers  of  Barton  W.  Stone,  at  one  time 
a  Presbyterian  minister  of  Kentucky,  but  who,  about 

*The  reader  will  find  full  description  in  loco. 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  37 1 

1804,  after  having  for  years  rejected  the  peculiar 
doctrines  of  Calvinism,  and,  yielding  to  the  forces 
of  speculative  reasoning  in  which  he  and  others  in- 
dulged, were  led  eventually  to  reject  also  the  doctrine 
of  the  Atonement,  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  and  the 
Trinity.  The  debate  was  generally  known,  and  had 
been  talked  of  for  months;  and,  as  Elder  Barr  had 
acquired  considerable  notoriety,  and  brother  Phelps 
occupied  an  exalted  position  in  the  estimation  of  the 
people,  a  very  great  interest  was  felt  in  the  public  mind. 
"The  youngest  child  of  brother  Phelps  was  taken 
seriously  ill  with  brain  fever,  as  was  supposed,  a 
short  time  previous  to  the  debate.  From  this  cause 
he  felt  compelled  to  return  to  his  home  in  Bureau 
County  frequently,  by  which  he  was  not  only  sub- 
jected to  very  great  inconvenience,  but  his  anxiety — 
it  was  feared  by  his  friends — would  interfere  with  the 
debate,  by  rendering  him  unable  to  throw  the  whole 
power  of  his  mind  into  it.  Elder  Barr,  though  in 
general  a  courteous  debater,  at  one  time  took  occa- 
sion to  intimate,  in  unmistakable  terms,  that  the 
solicitude  manifested  by  brother  Phelps  was  assumed 
to  cover  a  conscious  sense  of  weakness  in  his  cause, 
and  consequent  defectiveness  in  his  argument.  Yet, 
notwithstanding  the  disadvantage  under  which  he  was 
placed  by  his  anxiety  of  mind,  loss  of  rest,  and  time 
necessary  to  review  his  own  ground  as  well  as  the 
arguments  of  his  opponent,  brother  Phelps  so  closely 
pursued  him,  and  so  firmly  maintained  his  own  posi- 
tion, that  he  felt  it  necessary  to  call  in  the  assistance 
of  Rev.  N.  -Summcrbell.  Brother  Phelps  called  in 
the  aid  of  Rev.  John  Luccock,  who  had  even  then 
acquired  considerable  notoriety  as  a  debater.  I  never 


372     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

heard  of  Mr.  Summerbell,  until  in  connection  with 
that  discussion,  and,  though  hearing  of  him  occa- 
sionally, have  no  recollection  of  ever  meeting  him 
since.  As  a  debater,  Mr.  Summerbell  was  far  from 
being  as  courteous  as  was  Elder  Barr.  He  was  par- 
ticularly given  to  making  unjust  representations  of 
the  arguments  and  doctrinal  views  of  Trinitarians. 
Speaking  of  brother  Plielps  and  the  views  he  held 
in  reference  to  the  Trinity,  he  at  one  time  said,  'We 
believe  in  one  God,  but  they  will  ciit  up  their  God 
and  label  the  pieces,  calling  them  Father,  Son,  and 
Holy  Ghost.' 

"Elder  Luccock,  the  assistant  of  brother  Phelps 
(now  Dr.  Luccock,  of  Atlantic,  Cass  County,  Iowa), 
was  in  the  prime  of  life,  of  quick,  vigorous  thought 
and  apprehension,  of  a  sound  critical  judgment  and 
superior  argumentative  powers. 

"Years  have  passed  since  that  time,  but  the  flavor 
of  Summerbell's  peculiar  rhetoric  has  lost  none  of 
its  original  distastefulness.  Perhaps  the  striking  con- 
trast between  his  unsavory  speeches  and  the  more 
courteous  bearing  of  Elder  Barr,  served  to  intensify 
the  disagreeable  features  of  Summerbell's  manners. 
There  were  those,  however,  who  regarded  Elder 
Barr  as  being  very  tame  and  insipid,  as  compared 
with  their  favorite  champion.  'Strongly  as  I  may 
seem  to  have  spoken  of  Summerbell,  I  have  refrained 
from  a  full  expression  of  my  memory  of  his  part  in 
that  debate — of  the  coarse  abuse  and  ridicule  he 
heaped  upon  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  and  of  those 
who  held  and  taught  it. 

Elder  Phelps  was  genial,  polite,  candid.  These 
excellencies  of  his  character  were  never,  perhaps, 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  373 

more  severely  taxed  or  disturbed  than  by  the  coarse- 
ness of  expression  and  the  occasional  sing-song  tone 
peculiar  to  a  certain  class  of  preachers  of  the  olden 
time,  sometimes  adopted  by  Mr.  Summerbell.  But 
when  we  consider  how  much  his  affectionate,  sensitive 
nature  must  have  suffered  from  the  distress  and  anx- 
iety naturally  caused  by  the  illness  of  his  child,  and 
his  deep  sympathy  with  the  suffering  of  its  anxious 
mother,  we  are  surprised  that  he  was  able  to  maintain 
the  serenity  of  mind  and  achieve  the  success  which 
he  did.  It  was  either  during-  the  closing  days  of  the 
debate,  or  within  a  short  time  after  it,  that  brother 
Phelps  said  to  the  writer:  'My  child,  I  think,  will 
not  die,  but  I  will  be  taken  instead.  I  expect  to  live 
but  a  little  while  longer.'  He  then  appeared  in 
usual  health,  and,  in  reply  to  the  inquiry  why  he 
spoke  as  he  did,  he  said,  substantially,  'The  very  life 
of  the  mother  seems  so  wrapt  up  in  that,  her  young- 
est child,  and  she  is  so  unwilling  to  give  it  up,  that 
I  have  made  it  a  matter  of  special  prayer.  At  one 
time,  while  so  engaged,  the  question  seemed  im- 
pressed upon  my  mind,  whether  I  would  be  willing 
to  give  my  life  for  the  child's.  After  a  moment's 
thought,'  he  continued,  'I  felt,  rather  than  said, 
Not  my  will,  O  Lord,  but  thine  be  done  ;  but,  for 
the  mother's  sake,  and  for  the  life  of  her  child,  I 
conld  even  yield  my  own,  if  thou  requirest.  The 
impression  then  came,  the  life  of  the  child  will  be 
given,  but  thou  wilt  be  called  instead.' ' 

Rev.  Z.  HALL  says : 

"My   first   acquaintance    with    the    Rev.    A.    E. 
Phelps  was  in   the  Fall  of  1833,  at  the  Conference 


374     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

which  was  held  at  brother  Padfield's,  three  miles 
from  Le'banon,  the  seat  of  M'Kendree  College.  I 
met  with  him  and  his  young  companion,  for  they 
had  been  married  but  a  short  time.  He  was  a  prom- 
inent young  member  of  the  Illinois  Conference. 
This  was  its  second  session  after  the  Indiana  Confer- 
ence had  been  set  off.  The  first  was  held  in  Jack- 
sonville in  1832,  where  I  was  received  on  trial. 
Brother  Phelps  was  one  of  the  forty-four  members 
called  upon  to  supply  all  the  State  of  Illinois,  Iowa, 
and  Wisconsin.  In  the  Fall  of  1835  he  was  sent  to 
Pekin  Circuit  with  brother  M'Murtry  as  colleague. 
It  was  bounded  as  follows :  South  by  the  Mackinaw 
River,  west  by  the  Illinois  River,  north  by  the  Ver- 
milion River,  and  east  by  the  Grand  Prairie,  a  four 
weeks'  circuit,  and  he  was  returned  to  it  in  1836. 
One  of  his  week-day  appointments  was  in  my  house 
(in  the  same  room  in  which  I  am  now  writing  this 
sketch,  in  November,  1877,  Woodford  County,  Illi- 
nois). He  was  always  a  very  welcome  guest  to  the 
little  class ;  for  one  of  brother  Phelps's  principles 
was  to  fulfill  his  appointments  at  the  time  and  hold 
class-meeting  after  preaching. 

"When  he  was  presiding  elder  of  Peoria  District 
I  had  an  opportunity  to  become  more  fully  and  inti- 
mately acquainted  with  him  at  home,  in  his  family, 
and  how  he  lived  every  day  at  home.  He  was  my 
presiding  elder  for  the  years  1843  and  1844.  I  was 
on  the  Washington  Circuit.  We  both  lived  in 
Washington,  and  were  near  neighbors,  and  our  fami- 
lies were  very  intimate.  Scarcely  a  day  passed  but 
some  of  the  family  were  at  our  house  or  some  of 
us  were  at  his  house,  so  that  we  had  a  full  oppor- 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  375 

tunity  to  know  and  love  one  another.  Now,  after 
the  passing  by  of  thirty-three  years,  I  look  upon 
the  two  years  in  which  he  was  my  presiding  elder 
in  Washington  as  among  the  happiest  of  my  itin- 
erant life. 

"Brother  Phelps  was  a  very  industrious  man.  It 
was  said  of  him  in  Washington,  where  he  lived  dur- 
ing the  four  years  of  his  presiding  eldership,  that  he 
would  hurry  home,  put  away  his  horse,  and  before  he 
sat  down  in  his  own  house  he  would  have  a  book 
in  his  hand,  so  that  he  could  glance  at  it  while 
conversing  with  his  family. 

"He  was  very  punctual  to  attend  his  quarterly- 
meetings.  I  do  not  recollect  of  one  that  he  was  ab- 
sent from  during  the  two  years  he  was  presiding 
elder.  He  preached  with  great  acceptability  and  to 
the  delight  of  his  hearers.  I  heard  him  debate  a 
few  times.  He  succeeded  well.  He  ,was  truly  an 
eloquent  and  able  defender  of  the  doctrines  of  our 
Church.  But  I  hardly  need  to  speak  of  his  ability 
as  a  debater,  he  always  manifested  the  right  spirit 
and  left  his  hearers  feeling  that  he  had  honored  the 
truth  and  gained  a  decided  victory  over  his  oppo- 
nents. He  succeeded  in  all  the  relations  he  was 
called  to  sustain  in  the  Conference. 

"I  have  known  him  as  a  circuit  preacher,  station 
preacher,  presiding  elder,  and  agent  of  Mount  Morris 
Seminary.  In  all  these  he  did  well.  My  opinion  is 
that  his  success  may  be  attributed  to  his  purity  of 
life.  He  has  not  left  a  stain  upon  his  character, 
either  ministerially  or  socially.  I  hope  and  expect 
to  meet  him  in  heaven." 


376     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

Rev.    R.    HANEY,    D.   D.,    Monmouth,    Illi- 
nois, says : . 

"The  religion  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  re- 
quired sacrifices  of  all  who  have  embraced  it  in  all 
ages  of  the  world.  The  Master  himself,  though  Lord 
and  of  all,  took  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant, 
Moses  refused  the  crown  of  Egypt,  and  the  Mora- 
vian missionaries  sold  themselves  to  the  planters  of 
the  West  Indies  for  the  privilege  of  preaching  Christ 
to  master  and  slave.  Whoever  studies  the  history 
of  that  form  of  Christianity  now  spreading  over  the 
face  of  the  earth,  called  by  Dr.  Chalmers  "Christian- 
ity in  earnest,"  that  is  Methodism,  will  find  that  our 
Church  is  no  exception  to  the  general  rule.  Asbury, 
our  first  bishop,  and  the  first  on  the  Western  Con- 
tinent who  crossed  and  recrossed  the  Alleghany 
Mountains  seventy-eight  times  on  foot  or  horseback, 
gave  his  shirt  to  the  ferryman  for  crossing  him  and 
his  brethren  over  the  river,  the  money  having  given 
out.  And  Bishop  Roberts  and  the  late  Rev.  John 
Chandler  subsisted  for  days  on  blackberries,  having 
no  money  with  which  to  purchase  food.  From  St. 
Paul  to  Peter  Cartwright,  the  men  who  laid  the 
foundations  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and  let  the 
struggling  millions  of  earth  into  the  liberty  where- 
with Christ  makes  his  people  free,  cheerfully  gave 
up  every  thing  for  Christ.  During  the  first  three 
centuries,  while  the  heralds  of  salvation  itinerated 
and  were  poor  and  went  every-\vhere  preaching 
Christ  and  him  crucified,  Christianity  spread  rapidly; 
but  when  Constantine  heaped  riches  upon  the  min- 
isters of  the  Gospel  and  popularized  religion,  the 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  377 

Church  lost  her  power  and  a  long  night  of  dark- 
ness followed. 

"Among  the  men  who  came  early  to  the  West 
and  cheerfully  brooked  the  trials  and  sufferings  inci- 
dent to  the  settling  of  a  new  country,  and  whose 
memory  is  as  ointment  poured  forth,  A.  E.  Phelps 
must  ever  be  assigned  a  prominent  place,  for  though 
'being  dead'  he  'yet  speaketh.'  When  I  first  saw 
tli is  eloquent  and  now  sainted  brother,  he  was  a 
member  of  the  old  Illinois  Conference,  and  though 
young,  his  brethren  assigned  him  to  fields  of  great 
labor  and  responsibility,  and  to  the  day  of  his  death 
he  never  waned  in  their  estimation  or  lost  their  con- 
fidence. From  his  parents  he  inherited  a  feeble 
constitution,  and  how  he  did  so  much  work,  and  did 
it  so  well,  was  a  wonder  to  all  who  knew  him.  He 
was  about  five  feet  ten  inches  high.  His  step  was 
quick  and  he  .seemed  ever  in  a  hurry.  Of  him  it 
may  be  truly  said,  'he  followed  God  with  all  his 
heart.'  During  the  twenty-five  )rears  I  was  asso- 
ciated with  him  in  the  ministry  I  never  knew  him  to 
fail  of  fasting  two  days  in  each  week,  and  whether 
in  the  mansion  of  the  opulent  or  in  the  frontier 
cabin,  when  he  left,  the  family  felt  that  an  embassa- 
dor  of  Christ  had  been  under  their  roof.  And  now, 
after  his  lips  have  long  been  dust,  his  name  is  a 
household  word  with  us  in  the  West.  Men  and 
women,  the  children  of  the  pioneer  settler,  speak  of 
what  he  said  to  them  when  they  were  children  while 
at  their  father's  house. 

"As  a  preacher,  Mr.  Phelps  was  a  workman  that 
needed  not  to  be  ashamed.  Being  a  good  scholar 
and  a  great  student,  he  read  books,  and  their  contents 

32 


378      TWENTY- FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

were  his.  In  history,  philosophy,  and  theology  he  was 
ever  at  home,  and  while  he  never  made  a  display  of 
his  natural  or  acquired  abilities,  yet  none  could  be 
in  his  presence  and  hear  him  without  feeling  they 
were  in  the  presence  of  a  master.  His  voice  Avas 
clear  and  musical  and  was  perfectly  under  his  control. 
His  imagination  was  fine,  yet  he  never  let  it  carry 
him  beyond  the  fields  of  reason.  He  could  say  to 
that  wonderful  faculty  'thus  far  and  no  further.'  As 
a  logician  he  excelled.  His  preaching  instructed, 
pleased,  and  carried  you  away.  Some  men,  in  order 
to  put  on  their  strength  must  have  a  multitude  to 
hear  them.  Not  so  with  Mr.  Phelps.  I  have  heard 
him  on  camp  grounds  preaching  where  thousands 
listened  with  delight,  and  in  the  frontier  cabin  to  a 
dozen  emigrants,  and  whether  on  his  knees  wrestling 
with  the  Angel  of  the  Covenant  or  preaching  Christ, 
I  willingly  consented  to  be  his  prisoner.  Some  men 
preach  controversy  and  preach  nothing  else,  and  some 
seldom  preach  any  thing  but  the  practical  duties  of 
religion.  He  seemed  at  home  every-where..  The 
sermons  he  preached  on  the  Evidences  of  Revealed 
Religion,  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  the  Resurrection, 
the  Final  Judgment,  Baptism,  the  Relation  of  Chil- 
dren to  the  Church,  Moses  leading  the  Children  of 
Israel  out  of  Egypt,  and  the  Martyrdom  of  St. 
Stephen,  were  not  only  great — they  were  vvonderfnl. 
These  and  other  topics  upon  which  he  preached  are 
still  remembered  by  thousands,  and  they  express  the 
regret  that  so  good  and  so  great  a  man  has  left 
se  little  in  a  tangible  form  for  the  benefit  of  those 
who  are  to  come  after  him;  but,  like  Russel  Bigelow, 
William  B.  Christie,  and  John  Strange,  his  'witness 


PEN-PORTRAITURES.  379 

is  in  heaven  and  his  record  on  high."  In  his  per- 
sonal appearance  he  was  plain  and  neat,  every-where 
the  Christian  gentleman  and  Methodist  preacher. 
He  was  also  a  very  fine  singer.  He  was,  in  his 
day,  in  song  what  Chaplain  M'Cabe  is  to-day. 

"When  he  entered  the  traveling  ministry  his  sal- 
ary was  one  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and  he  sel- 
dom received  that  amount.  On  this  he  supported 
himself.  And  in  justice  to  the  memory  of  my  friend 
and  brother,  I  must  say  he  would  live  on  less  and 
do  more  work  with  his  hands  and  sell  more  Meth- 
odist books  tlian  any  man  I  ever  knew  in  the  min- 
istry of  our  Church.  God  honored  him  in  placing 
him  here  early  in  the  history  of  the  Western  coun- 
try with  such  men  as  Peter  Cartwright,  Henry  Sum- 
mers, Samuel  H.  Thompson,  Jesse  Walker,  John  S. 
Barger,  John  Strange,  John  St.  Clair,  Hooper  Crews, 
S.  R.  Biggs,  Peter  Akers,  Michael  S.  Taylor,  Peter 
Borein,  B.  H.  Cartwright,  Z.  Hall,  John  T.  Mitchell, 
E.  R.  Ames,  and  others  whose  names  are  in  the 
book  of  life.  Surely  it  may  be  said  "there  were 
giants  in  those  days."  These  men  under  God  laid 
the  foundation  upon  which  coming  generations  are  to 
build  until  the  end  of  time. 

"I  have  seen  Mr.  Phelps  traveling  a  feeble  mission 
on  the  frontier — on  a  large  circuit  which  required  him 
to  preach  once  and  twice  every  day  in  the  week 
and  often  three  times  on  the  Sabbath,  —  but  I  never 
heard  him  complain.  He  received  every  appoint- 
ment at  the  hands  of  his  brethren  cheerfully  and 
never  doubted  that  they  were  from  God.  When  he 
visited  me  as  presiding  elder  at  my  quarterly  confer- 
ences he  would  preach  from  four  to  six  times  during 


380      TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

his  stay.  And  he  would  have  appointments  sent  in 
advance  where  he  would  preach  in  log  cabins  or 
school-houses  on  his  way  to  his  next  quarterly-meet- 
ing. Thus  lived  and  labored  this  great  and  good 
man,  and  of  him  it  could  be  truthfully  said  when  he 
died  'a  prince  and  a  great  man  has  fallen  in  Israel.' ' 

After  reading  the  descriptions  given  of 
Elder  Phelps  by  his  co-laborers  one  feels  some- 
what as  did  Bishop  Thomson  after  viewing  the 
great  Taj  Mahal,  "as  if  it  would  be  a  relief  to 
weep."  Many  years  ago  Mr.  Phelps  preached  a 
sermon  on  "The  Servants  of  God  dismissed 
and  rewarded,"  in  which  he  said,  "Our  fathers, 
where  are  they  ?  and  the  prophets,  do  they  live 
forever?  These  questions  are  answered  by 
the  mournful  records  of  the  Church,  and  by 
our  own  observation.  We  all  live  to  die.  Death 
is  the  common  lot  of  man.  Even  the  most 
distinguished  are  not  exempt."  The  monu- 
ment erected  'over  his  dust  in  the  Princeton 
Cemetery,  by  order  of  the  Rock  River  and 
Central  Illinois  Conferences  tells  the  sad  story  of 
his  death.  Bishop  Wiley*  once  said,  "Bishop 
Janes  can  not  die;  he  will  live  forever."  So 
may  we  say  of  A.  E.  Phelps.  He  will  shine  in 
the  same  galaxy  with  Thomas  M.  Eddy,  Alfred 
Cookman,  and  J.  V.  Watson  as  a  star  forever. 

*At  Central  Illinois  Conference. 


CHAPTER  SEVENTEENTH. 

THEN— NOW— HEREAFTER. 

The  Old  Border  Conference — Education — Methodist  Lit- 
erature— Membership — The  Dead — The  Roll  of  Honor — Old 
Leaders — Fifty  Years  Hence — The  Meeting  Hereafter — The 
End. 

"Hush  !  the  dead  march  wails  in  the  people's  ears; 
The  dark  crowd  moves,  and  there  are  sobs  and  tears; 
The  black  earth  yawns,  the  mortal  disappears  ! 

Ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust. 
He  is  gone  who  seemed  so  great, — 
Gone;  but  nothing  can  bereave  him 

Of  live  force  he  made  his  own 
Being  here  ;  and  we  believe  him 
Something  far  advanced  in  state,     . 

And  that  he  wears  .a  truer  crown 
Than  any  wreath  that  man  can  weave  him." 

FIFTY  years  ago  Rev.  A.  E.  Phelps.  re- 
ceived his  first  appointment  at  the  hands 
of  a.  Methodist  bishop.  He  chose  the  extreme 
West,  as  it  then  was,  as  his  field.  For.  almost 
twenty -five  years  he  labored  in  his  chosen 
field,  and  then  went  to  rest.  His  life  was  one. 
continued  scene  of  labor  in  the  Master's  vine- 
yard. Like  the  great  Apostle  Paul,  he  "  ceased 
not  to  warn  every  one  night  and  day,"  and 
"  from  house  to  house." 

Twenty-five  years  ago  he  "ceased  at  once 

381 


382     TWENTY-FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

to  work  and  live."  When  he  began  his  work 
the  Christian  Advocate  was  but  three  years 
old,  and  had  only  a  handful  of  subscribers; 
now,  it  is  one  of  a  family  of  Advocates  that 
count  their  subscribers  by  thousands.  Then, 
our  colleges  were  few  in  number,  and  strug- 
gling barely  for  an  existence  ;  now,  they  are 
numerous  and  influential.  Then,  the  entire 
membership  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
in  these  United  States  and  Canadas  amounted 
to  but  418,438,  and  1,642  itinerant  preachers. 
Now,  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  alone, 
there  is  a  membership  of  1,471,777,  199,831 
probationers,  and  11,269  traveling  preachers. 
The  growth  in  the  West  is  marvelous.  What 
then  constituted  the  territory  of  the  old  Illi- 
nois Conference,  then  the  border  Conference, 
is  now  divided  up  into  many  powerful  Confer- 
ences, and  lies  east  of  the  center  of  American 
civilization. 

Elder  Phelps  died  early  in  the  campaign. 
Since  then  Peter  Cartwright  has  gone,  and  Bar- 
ger  and  Van  Cleve  ;  John  Sinclair,  Geo.  Rut- 
lege,  Milton  Bour,  G.  G.  Worthington,  J.  V. 
Watson,  and  John  Chandler  have  gone  too. 

"Thus  star  by  star  declines, 
Till  all  are  passed  away, 
As  morning  high  and  higher  shines 


THEN — Now — HEREAFTER.  383 

To  pure  and  perfect  clay; 
Nor  sink  those  stars  in  empty  night, — 
They  hide  themselves  in  heaven's  own  light.'' 

Peter  Akers,  Richard  Hargrave,  W.  D.  R. 
Trotter,  O.  A.  Walker,  S.  R.  Beggs,  W.  L. 
Deneen,  S.  P.  Burr,  S.  H.  Stocking,  S.  P. 
Keys,  J.  Morey,  W.  C.  Cummings,  J.  Luc- 
cock,  Z.  Hall,  and  Henry  Summers  are  now 
on  the  roll  of  honor,  awaiting  further  orders. 
Bishop  E.  R.  Ames,  W.  J.  Rutlege,  Hooper 
Crews,  Chauncey  Hobart,  Richard  Haney,  and 
many  younger  co-laborers,  are  still  shouting  on 
the  battle.  In  fifty  years  more  not  a  man  of 
the  old  veterans  of  the  border  Conference  will 
be  left  to  tell  the  story.  Many  younger  men 
are  waiting  for  the  coming  of  the  Golden 
Chariot.  What  a  host  of  pioneer  members — 
our  fathers  and  mothers — have  gone ! 

Cartwright,  Sinclair,  Barger,  Hedstrom, 
Strange,  Walker,  Chandler,  Phelps,  hail  !  the 
remnant  of  the  old  army  is  marching  to  meet 
you. 

"Then  in  thy  presence,  Heavenly  King, 
In  loftier  strains  thy  praise  we  '11  sing, 
When  \viih  the  blood-bought  hosts  we  meet 
Triumphant  there,  in  bliss  complete, 
And  cast  our  crowns  before  thy  feet, 
In  endless  day.'' 


CHAPTER  EIGHTEENTH. 
CONCLUSION. 

"Ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust, — 
Of  all  our  love  is  this  the  end  ? 
Is  nothing  left  us  of  our  friend 
But  treasured  page  or  marble  bust, 
And  leal  life-memories  of  inviolate  truth?" 

W.  MORLEY  PUNSHON. 

THE  end  of  a  delightful  task  is  now 
reached,  and  this  sketch  must  close. 
A  singular  fatality  has  attended  the  family  of 
Elder  Phelps.  Emma,  who  was  sick  many 
months  before  her  father's  death,  lingered  for 
years  in  an  agony  of  suffering,  and  then  went 
to  rest.  G.  H.  Phelps  studied  law,  and  en- 
tered upon  the  duties  of  his  profession  with 
flattering  prospects  of  success.  He  became 
an  active  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  in  Princeton,  111.,  but  his  work  was 
soon  done,  and  he  went  to  his  reward.  Mary 
was  happily  married,  and  removed  to  her  new 
home  in  Ottawa,  111.,  and  in  a  few  years  was 
called  to  her  home  on  high.  J.  W.  Phelps  of 
the  children  alone  survives.  He  lived  with- 
out the  pale  of  the  Church  until  he  had  grown 
to  manhood,  when,  under  the  labors  of  our 

384 


CONCLUSION.  385 

lamented  A.  A.  Matthews,  he  was  brought 
into  the  fold.  He  was  soon  licensed  to  preach 
and  received  into  the  Rock  River  Conference, 
of  which  he  is  now  an  active  member.  Mrs. 
Charlotte  Phelps  resides  with  her  son,  in  Plain - 
field,  111.  She  has  never  ceased  to  mourn  her 
great  loss  in  the  death  of  her  husband.  Mr. 
Phelps's  father-in-law,  Joseph  Caterline,  still 
lingers.  He  resides  in  .Kewanee,  111.  He 
loved  A.  E.  Phelps  as  he  did  his  own  chil- 
dren, and  now  delights  to  talk  of  his  trials 
and  triumphs.  Thus  this  beloved  family  have 
wasted  away  one  by  one  until  the  many  have 
gone,  and  only  a  remnant  remains. 

"  The  good  are  better  made  by  ill, 
As  odors  crushed  are  sweeter  still." 

The  patient  reader  has  had  glimpses  of  the 
life  of  a  model  man  in  perusing  these  pages. 
Christ  was  his  model,  the  only  perfect  model. 
Such  a  life  is  an  outgrowth  of  Christianity,  and 
an  argument  in  its  behalf  more  eloquent  than 
poets'  pen  or  artists'  brush  can  trace.  The 
lessons  to  be  learned  fromxthe  devoted  life  of 
our  lamented  Phelps  are  impressive  and  in- 
spiring. His  dust  now  sleeps  in  the  cemetery 
at  Princeton,  Illinois.  The  scene  is  beautiful. 
A  suitable  monument*  marks  the  spot  hal- 

*  Erected  by  Central  Illinois,  and  Rock  River  Conferences. 
33 


386      TWENTY  FIVE  YEARS  IN  THE  ITINERANCY. 

lowed  by  his  dust.  The  empty  hull  of  a  fallen 
acorn,  cut  on  the  marble  that  stands  at  the 
head  of  his  grave,  tells  the  mournful  story. 
There  let  him  rest  until  the  bright  resurrection 
morning.  i 

''Faith,  when  weeping  over  tombs, 

Sees  Easter  symbols  in  the  clod, 
Hills  which  go  climbing  up  to  God ; 

A  fragrant  wealth  of  heavenly  blooms, 
And  far  beyond  the  glory  of  the  golden  domes." 

A  few  years  ago  a  rustic  friend  presented 
the  writer  with  a  chrysalis.  He  securely  fas- 
tened it  to  his  study  shelf  by  a  pin.  It  was 
an  ugly  helpless  mass.  After  it  had  hung  thus 
for  two  weeks,  on  one  Monday  it  was  found 
hanging  to  the  broken  shell.  It  gently  moved 
its  brilliant  wings,  and  then  flew  away  from 
flower  to  flower  and  in  the  bright  sunshine. 
Thus  shall  our  pious  dead  break  from  their 
graves  and  soar  away  to  heaven  and  God ;  and 
from  that  grave  in  Princeton,  where  angels 
guard  his  dust,  shall  come  forth  in  glorious 
array  the  form  of  ASAHEL  ELIHU  PHELPS. 


THE  END. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

DCOQQC  C001 

GLIMPSES  OF  THE  LIFE  OF  REV.  A.E.PHELPS 


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